November 25, Gusari city, Azerbaijan – The FLEG II Program put together direct beneficiaries, 35 representatives of state forestry enterprises, educational and forestry experts, National Program Advisory Committee (NPAC) members, local municipalities, NGOs, academia, media, FLEG II national consultants and implementing organizations in the final stakeholders’ meeting in Gusari city. In a friendly and warm environment, the participants discussed major points of FLEG II successful 6-year journey in Azerbaijan and urged to continue the key activities in the future.

“It is hard to imagine fruitful public awareness work without FLEG II and its publications,” said the head of the Yalama district Forest Rehabilitation and Guarding Enterprise (FRGE) Fakhraddin Mammadaliyev. During the past 6 years, we have been used to the fact that FLEG II experts are somewhere nearby to assist us in a wide range of activities aimed at bringing more sustainability and sense to our everyday work”. Most of the guests, among them FLEG II consultants, NGOs, and forestry specialists were happy to share the thoughts on the impact of FLEG II on various areas in the forestry realm.

“Our winning team of leading national consultants, specializing in the area of environmental education, sustainable tourism, and energy saving worked hard to involve the communities and decision-makers in understanding the importance of sustainable management and sustainable way of life,” said FLEG II World Bank Country Coordinator Azer Garayev. Possibilities of FSC certification and importance of preservation of biodiversity in Azerbaijan have been discussed by the NPAC members and members of NGO Azerbaijan Green Building Alihaydr Mammadov and Fuad Baghirov. “I hope we will have more of FLEG II like programs in Azerbaijan as the Program’s initiatives are vital for the development of the forestry sector and have to continue,” concluded Mr. Baghirov.

“When we look back to 2010 and compare the situation back then with the current level of development of environmental education, the degree of knowledge on forest functionality and vital forest functions among the forest dependent communities, sustainable forest practices, media’s awareness on forestry issues, we can’t help but see a world of positive developments, which will define the future of the Azerbaijani forestry sector in the years to come,” said the senior representative from the National Parliament, Chairman of NPAC Shamil Huseynov.

All participants acknowledged the Program’s important role in the development of the country’s forestry sector and were unanimous in their hope to see the extension of the Program in the future.