Azerbaijan, Islamic organisation discuss stepping up food security cooperation PHOTO / UPDATED

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov advocated for enhanced collaboration to address global food security as he met with Berik Aryn, the Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), as part of his official visit to Kazakhstan.

The discussions centered on enhancing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OIC, with a particular focus on global food security challenges, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry told Caliber.Az.

The meeting also addressed potential joint initiatives to tackle these pressing issues.

Minister Bayramov highlighted Azerbaijan's active role as a donor country, underscoring its significant contributions to international humanitarian programs and development projects aimed at improving food security.

The meeting emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to supporting global efforts to address food insecurity, particularly within the OIC framework.

The discussions also focused on enhancing cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as well as global food security challenges. 

During the meeting, Bayramov emphasized that food security remains a key priority in Azerbaijan’s socio-economic policy and that the government continues to focus on this strategically important issue.

He highlighted Azerbaijan’s commitment to supporting joint initiatives within the OIC framework to address food security concerns effectively.

For his part, Aryn expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s contributions to food security programs and commended the country’s active role within the OIC.

He also underscored Azerbaijan’s achievements during its presidency of COP29, stressing that climate change’s direct impact on food security necessitates prioritizing efforts in this area.

For the record, Bayramov is currently in Astana on an official visit.

The Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS) is a specialized institution of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), focused on promoting agricultural and rural development, as well as enhancing food security within OIC member states.

The decision to establish an OIC food security institution was made during the 39th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Djibouti, from November 15-17, 2012. The decision was followed by the 40th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, held in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, from December 9-11, 2013, where the Statute establishing the IOFS was officially approved. The IOFS was created as an OIC specialized institution with a mission to promote agriculture, rural development, and food security across member states.

The Statute of the IOFS officially entered into force on February 19, 2018, in accordance with Article 21 of the Statute, and the Secretariat of IOFS began its operations on March 1, 2018.

By Vafa Guliyeva