The first meeting of the Milli Majlis Agrarian Policy Committee held in the spring parliamentary session took place on 21 January.

Opening the meeting, the committee chairman Tahir Rzayev wished the colleagues success during the session before saying that the items on today’s agenda had to do with the past-session performance report and the work plan for the current session.

The performance report covering the autumn session of 2021 was presented then. Tahir Rzayev declared the current progress in the agrarian sector – just like in all the economic facets – being the result of the policy pursued by the president of the country Mr Ilham Aliyev.

According to the committee chairman, there had been 12 meetings and 13 matters had been considered at them. The committee had reviewed amendments to the laws ‘On Cereals’, ‘On Horse Breeding and the Equestrian Sports’, ‘On Mineral Resources’, ‘On Fishing and Fisheries’, ‘On the Animal World’, ‘On Environmental Protection’, ‘On Huntsmanship’, ‘On the Real Estate Register’, ‘On Veterinary’, ‘On Medications’, ‘On Physical Education and Sports’, ‘On Culture’, ‘On Maintaining Measurement Traceability’ and ‘On Licences and Permits’. The committee had also discussed amendments to the Water, Customs and City-Planning and Building Codes. Besides, they had gone through the protocol about extending the effective term of the UN FAO-Azerbaijan Partnership Programme Agreement between the Government of the Azerbaijan Republic and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. And, of course, the committee had been active throughout the deliberations upon the 2022 State Budget Bill.

Continuing, Mr Rzayev mentioned the committee having received 40 letters, suggestions and applications in the reference period; 22 of them had been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for solution of the problems raised therein whilst the MPs had analysed and resolved some others independently.

The MPs on the committee had been engaged in the public and political developments in the country. They had attended the wakes of the Patriotic War fallen, had supported their families and the wounded war veterans and had kept electors abreast of the economic and agricultural achievements of the country.

Furthermore, they had been constantly in touch with the relevant state departments on the agrarian sector’s development and prospects, had spoken at various conferences, congresses and other events, and had taken out articles and other pieces in the press.

Mr Rzayev also spoke of the activities of the inter-parliamentary connexions working groups of which his colleagues are members. He said that the fellow-MPs had attended the remote international events. In general, the Milli Majlis had succeeded in fulfilling all its tasks during the past period, in the opinion of Mr Rzayev.

Next, Tahir Rzayev submitted for consideration the work plan for the 2022 spring session, saying that the draft laws coming up by way of the legislative initiatives of the President, of the Members of the Milli Majlis, of the Supreme Court, of the General Prosecution Office and of the Supreme Majlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic would be reviewed. Besides, there will be the Food Security Bill to examine. There will be meetings with shahid families and gazies. The committee will study the agrarian situation in the de-occupied lands, discuss the important aspects of the national agricultural development and analyse the progress of the work done in the industry – this one is going to be done together with the Ministry of Agriculture.

The deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee Sabir Hajiyev and the MPs Eldar Ibrahimov, Javanshir Pashazade, Igbal Mammadov, Aydin Huseynov, Azer Badamov and Mushfig Jafarov spoke about the present-day public and political processes in the country, the development status of the agriculture, the forthcoming tasks and what is being done currently. Relevant proposals were put forward.

After the debate, the Agrarian Policy Committee endorsed its 2021 autumn session performance report and affirmed the work plan for the 2022 spring session.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis