Azerbaijan has officially joined the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), marking a new step in strengthening regional cooperation on sustainable agriculture and food resilience across the Islamic world.

The accession agreement was signed in Baku on May 6 during the 19th Azerbaijan International Agricultural Exhibition and Forum, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform.

Azerbaijan’s Agriculture Minister Majnun Mammadov signed the document, officially bringing the country into the multilateral platform that unites member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to advance food security and agricultural development. Uzbekistan also signed a similar agreement during the ceremony.

The event gathered senior officials and international representatives, including IOFS Director General Berik Aryn, OIC Secretariat representative Noura Al-Zahrani, and Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel.

Aryn noted that Azerbaijan’s membership will help deepen cooperation among member states and improve collective responses to modern food security challenges. He noted that joining the organization opens access to international programs focused on innovation in the agri-food sector, capacity building, food security management systems, and regional collaboration.

The Islamic Organization for Food Security was established at the initiative of Kazakhstan and began operations in 2016. Headquartered in Astana, the organization now brings together countries from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world as a major platform for coordinating efforts in sustainable agriculture and food security.