A regional event titled “Regional Dialogue on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in Europe and Central Asia” was held in Batumi, Georgia with the financial and organizational support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Europe and Central Asia. On behalf of Azerbaijan Mr. Yagub Quliyev a representative of the International and Public Relations Department of the Agrarian Science and Innovation Centre, Mrs.  Natavan Aslanova, a representative from the FAO's Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, and Mr. Parviz Aliyev, Chief of Division, “Agricultural Economics Research Centre” public legal entity attended the event.

Opening the event, Mrs. Khatia Tsilosani, Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia touched upon the traditional agricultural methods, the importance of farming culture, the role of traditional systems in the preservation of biodiversity and genetic resources for food and agriculture.

Mmes. Tania Santivantez and Celila Puzzo, FAO employees, provided information about FAO GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System), and representatives from Italy, Spain, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan about potential GIAHS sites in their own countries. Mr. Yagub Quliyev an employee of the Agrarian Science and Innovation Centre delivered a presentation on potential GIAHS sites in Azerbaijan. The speaker brought to the notice of the participants about the steps taken to identify the traditionally important agricultural heritage system, as part of the FAO's Project of Identification, Assessment and Stewardship of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System implemented in Turkey and Azerbaijan in 2014. Within the framework of that project, the Agrarian Science and Innovation Centre provided detailed information on conducting surveys of the sites of traditionally important agricultural heritage system, the criteria used to identify the sites of meeting the GIAHS requirements and the characteristic features of each selected site.

Noting that, the selection of the sites for meeting the GIAHS requirements has based upon food, life safety, health, nutrition, biodiversity, genetic richness, local knowledge systems, adapted technology, and cultural diversity of agriculture, including products, services, landscape diversity and aesthetic value. It was emphasized that such sites, representing the accumulated experience of people living in rural areas, have been created by means of the evolution process of human beings to the nature as a result of inter-cultural and biological impacts and common activities over centuries.
The second day of the event was continued with discussions and Q & A sessions, and recommendations were also made for identification and stewardship the GIAHS sites in the participating countries.