Details added (first version posted at 20:13, Jan.14).
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 15
Trend:
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to improve governance in the agricultural sector on Jan. 14.
According to the decree, the Agency for Agrarian Services is being established under the Ministry of Agriculture on the basis of the State Phytosanitary Control Service, the State Veterinary Service, the State Service for Registration of Plant Varieties and Seed Quality and the State Main Technical Supervision Service.
According to the decree, the Agency organizes and manages veterinary and phytosanitary services, controls their quality, coordinates the activities of state agricultural development centers in this field; conducts registration of agricultural equipment, control of equipment and provides public services in this field through state agricultural development centers. The highest number of the Agency's staff is 85 people.
The Ministry of Agriculture has been instructed to prepare a draft regulation of the Agency within two months and submit it to the President of Azerbaijan; within three months, approve the list of services that will be provided in the regions through state agricultural development centers, and the regulation of these services; solve other issues arising from the decree.