The Azerbaijani city of Guba has been declared the “agrarian capital” of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), according to a statement by the Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Majnun Mammadov, Turanews.kz reports.
The declaration was made following the results of the second meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the OTS, which was held in Guba on September 26.
The event was also attended by the Secretary General of the OTS Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye Ibrahim Yumakli, the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Aziz Voitov, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Hussein Chavush, the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kyrgyzstan Murat Ramatov and Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Abilkhair Tamabek.
Following the meeting, the ministers signed a declaration and made statements to the press.
In particular, Türkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Yumakli said that the meeting participants discussed issues of agricultural sustainability, self-sufficiency of the sector and issues of ensuring food security.
“Views were exchanged on issues such as combating climate change, climate-smart agriculture, efficient use of water, and water and land management,” the Turkish minister said.
In turn, the Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Mamedov drew attention to the huge potential of the UTC countries in the agricultural sector.
“We strive to further deepen our cooperation in this area,” he emphasized.
According to the Azerbaijani minister, at today’s meeting the current situation in terms of cooperation between the CIS countries in the agricultural sector, as well as possible cooperation in the future, was discussed in detail.
“OTS member countries cooperate closely in the agricultural sector at both the bilateral and multilateral levels. Issues such as increasing the volume of trade in agricultural and food products, encouraging mutual investments, transfer of modern technologies, mutual exchange of best practices, effective management of land and water resources, development of an agricultural insurance system were identified as future areas of cooperation,” Mamedov said.
According to him, the meeting participants also made a proposal to designate the “agricultural capital” of the OTS.
“Every year one of the cities of the OTS countries will be declared an agricultural capital. At this meeting, we declared the Azerbaijani city of Guba as the agricultural capital of the OTS,” Mamedov noted.
The designation of Guba as the “agrarian capital” of the OTS is a recognition of the city’s important role in the agricultural sector of Azerbaijan and the OTS region. Guba is located in the northern part of Azerbaijan, in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. The region is known for its fertile soils and favorable climate, which make it ideal for growing a variety of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Guba is also home to a number of food processing and packaging plants, which help to add value to the region’s agricultural products. The city is also a major center for the trade in agricultural products, both domestically and internationally.
