GUBA – U.S. Chargé d’Affaires William Gill and Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Jaidev Singh met with Fatimat Agamirzayeva, one of Azerbaijan’s first woman entrepreneurs and the manager of a USAID-supported carpet-weaving workshop in the mountainous village of Alpan, and discussed economic opportunities for women on July 29.  The workshop employs women in Alpan and three neighboring communities of Uzunmeshe, Kurkun and Susay, and preserves Azerbaijan’s ancient carpet-weaving tradition by training local woman in the art of weaving.  The carpet-weaving workshop is one of 120 projects implemented in 105 communities across Azerbaijan with funding from USAID and the Azerbaijani government as part of USAID’s Socio-Economic Development Activity (SEDA).  

Charge d’Affaires Gill and Director Singh also visited a new USAID agricultural training center in the Nugedi village July 30 for fruit growers in Guba-Khachmaz region.  The center helps growers improve their orchards, protect their fruit against pests and diseases, and monitor for invasive pests such as the brown marmorated stink bug that have the potential to cause serious damage to crops in Azerbaijan.  With USAID assistance, farmers in the region established five new high-density orchards which produce 3-4 times more fruit than traditional orchards.  USAID’s agricultural assistance boosts the productivity and competitiveness of Azerbaijani agriculture, accelerating the development of Azerbaijan’s non-oil economy.