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On September 2, a series of meetings took place with the participation of Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Leyla Aliyeva at the Rome office of the organization. 

First, presentations and discussions reflecting the organization’s activities took place with participation of Leyla Aliyeva. Director of the organization’s Corporate Communication Office Enrique Jervis expressed his delight in Leyla Aliyeva’s participation in the event.

Then comprehensive information was given about FAO and its mission, and the organization’s partners in the private sector, Recourse Mobilization programmes in Azerbaijan and the region, and works carried out for sustainable management of the organization’s activities on natural resources and climate change were talked about.

Leyla Aliyeva was given information about the conditions created for the employees of the organization, and acquaintance with the plenary session room in the building took place. 

Then Leyla Aliyeva met with Director General of UN Food and Agriculture Organization José Graziano da Silva. Expressing his delight in the meeting, the Director General of the organization highly appreciated the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and emphasized the significance of the projects implemented by IDEA Public Union, headed by Leyla Aliyeva, to address environmental issues. Talking about the achievements Azerbaijan has reached recent years in all spheres, Jose Graziano da Silva recalled our president’s visit to the organization’s headquarters while on an official visit to Italy in 2014, speaking about his trip to our country and the meetings he had held with President Ilham Aliyev and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva. He noted that the works Azerbaijan has carried out towards reducing poverty is an example for other countries. From this point of view, reduction of poverty in Azerbaijan to 5 percent was specially emphasized and thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the works done in this field. 

Thanking for sincere reception, Leyla Aliyeva gave information about the achievements reached in our country towards securing food safety and the projects already implemented, talking about the successfully developing relations between Azerbaijan and FAO. Leyla Aliyeva underscored rapidly developing agriculture in Azerbaijan recent years, and brought to attention the reforms carried out in this field and the high state support provided to farmers in our country. Leyla Aliyeva also informed about the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the humanitarian sphere, significant projects implemented in various countries of the world, activities of IDEA Public Union, and said a number of projects would be implemented in future in joint cooperation with FAO. Leyla Aliyeva emphasized the importance of the youth’s activity towards supporting the projects being implemented within the framework of FAO. 

Azerbaijan has been a member of FAO since 1995. The project coordination office of the organization has been operating in our republic since 2007. And, a little before, the first coordination and partnership office of the organization was opened in Azerbaijan. 

At the meeting, the Director General thanked President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for their efforts towards opening of the office. 

Then a ceremony took place to mark Leyla Aliyeva’s first activity as FAO Goodwill Ambassador, and souvenirs were presented mutually. 

Later, Leyla Aliyeva gave an interview to FAO’s media centre. 

Leyla Aliyeva viewed the rich library in the organization’s building. FAO’s media centre  is also located here. FAO activity’s practical effect associated with the food safety issue being one of the most significant elements of countries’ national security is seen in a number of places throughout the world. Global duties and tasks that the organization, with over 130 representative offices around the world, has put to itself cover securing food safety, combatting famine, sustainable management of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources, and reduction of poverty.