Newly-Appointed Representative of UN FAO Presents his Credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Incoming Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Nasar Hayat, has presented his credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on Thursday, July 19.

“It’s an honor for me to represent FAO in the Republic of Azerbaijan,” noted Mr Hayat. “The sector of agriculture is one of the priority areas for the Government of Azerbaijan, and I look forward to leading FAO efforts to support the development and growth of this sector, in order to ensure food security in the country.”

Mr Hayat will head the FAO Parthership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan.​ FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, working in more than 130 countries worldwide. FAO launched its programmes in Azerbaijan in 1995, while the FAO Parthership and Liaison Office in the country was inaugurated in 2015. Based on the national priorities outlined by the Government of Azerbaijan, the FAO partnership program focuses on increasing food security, agricultural productivity, exports, as well as efficient use of natural resources of the country. The program also supports the development of the agriculture value chains and the creation of a favourable environment for rural development in Azerbaijan.

Mr Hayat is a career UN FAO officer. Prior to his appointment to Azerbaijan, he headed the FAO office in Laos. Mr Hayat’s career includes 11 years with the Government of Pakistan, including a four-year tenure as Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to Maldives. He also spent 18 years working with various international development organizations in Pakistan, including  the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asian Development Bank.

Mr Hayat succeeds Ms Cakmak as FAO Representative in Azerbaijan.