ARMA has implemented an EU project for Azerbaijan

27.04.2022

The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture together with partners from Italy and Lithuania implemented a twinning project for Azerbaijan. On April 27, a two-day conference began in Baku, summing up the effects of this two-and-a-half-year cooperation.

The project for Azerbaijan called "Strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture to improve effectiveness and efficiency of state support to agriculture" began in August 2019. It was implemented by a consortium: from Italy - Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Paying Agency (AGEA), from Poland - Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture (ARMA) and from Lithuania - National Paying Agency (NMA).

Experts from Italy, Poland and Lithuania had been sharing their knowledge and experience with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan and the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency (AKIA). The cooperation took place in the field of management and control of subsidies to crops and livestock based on EU solutions and the introduction of rules for rural development policy. In the latter aspect, it was proposed to create an agritourism system in this country. Farm-based agritourism is not yet common in Azerbaijan and there is no legal framework for it.

ARMA has been conducting international cooperation for many years, engaging, inter alia, into twinning projects. Currently Agency is working on two such projects: for Moldova and Serbia.

Twinning projects mainly consist in the exchange of experiences, sharing knowledge, and indicating best solutions during specialist training, internships or study visits. The twinning program is financed by the European Commission, thanks to which countries candidate to the European Union or having a partnership agreement with it, such as Azerbaijan, can receive substantive assistance from countries that are already EU members.