HAZELNUT DECLARATION OF GEORGIA, AZERBAIJAN AND TURKEY SIGNED IN ORDU...

Agriculture ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey who came to Ordu province of Black Sea region of Turkey to attend the hazelnut harvest ceremony met in the program of the Ordu Metropolitan Municipality Assembly Hall.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, in his speech here, said that hazelnuts are an extremely important product for them.

Pakdemirli indicating that Turkey has 5-6 strategic products with which ranks on the foremost places in the world, he said: "In this sense, nuts lead the very beginning of these products make up 10 percent of Turkey's exports, namely agriculture constituting 10 per cent of exports, which provide bread today for 600 thousand families, about 700 thousand hectares in the area, so we have a product that we have roughly 10 percent of Turkey's planted area."

Pakdemirli stated: "Black Sea reminds of 'hazelnut' and 'football', I mean these issues are too much talked about in this region. But Black Sea is also a place that gives immigration, however after that will not be so and the return will begin."

Pakdemirli pointed out that their ministry has a few priorities and duties, "One is to protect the producer to the end, the other side of the consumer does not eat too expensive, but because it is an export product and a very important part of the hazelnut, maybe 90 percent of the export. For this reason, we thought that the higher the price, the better." 

Hazelnut cooperation declaration between three countries...

Minister Pakdemirli officially annnounced "The Declaration on Strategic Cooperation in Hazelnuts"

between the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Pakdemirli concluded, "As of 3 ministers, we are always on the side of producers and consumers. We are committed to offering new varieties to our producers, increasing productivity and quality, also combating diseases and pests in our region, adding value to hazelnuts by increasing product quality and diversity and declaring that we are committed to our strategic cooperation to reach quality consumers."

Azerbaijani Minister of Agriculture Imam Karimov and Georgian Minister of Environment and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili wished that the cooperation on hazelnut would be beneficial to all three countries.

Following the speeches, the ministers of the three countries presented gifts to each other.