© Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia

Sixteen people, including farmers, agricultural specialists, representatives of organizations operating in the agrarian sector and employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, were awarded gold medals by the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia for their achievements in agriculture. Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia Gayane Nasoyan was also among the proud awardees. The Gold Medal was presented to Nasoyan for her outstanding contribution to the development of Armenian agriculture.

Awardees received the medals from the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Garnik Petrosyan at a ceremony in the Ministry on 27 May.

"Agriculture is a difficult sector to work in, and not everyone dares to step in, stay and build up their future in this sector. Fortunately, there are courageous people who can see that future and are ready to live it, to create and do good," said Petrosyan. He congratulated the awardees, thanked them for the work they do, wishing them greater achievements in the future.

Gayane Nasoyan was appointed Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia in April 2010. She promotes FAO’s work in the Republic of Armenia through the advocacy of the Organization’s mandate, programmes and strategic priorities. She assists government counterparts, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other partners in accessing FAO’s vast knowledge resources and facilitates collaborations with them.

The Ministry of Agriculture has been a solid partner for FAO in Armenia. Since becoming a Member Nation of the Organization in 1993, Armenia has received FAO support in implementing various development and emergency projects, aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and improving food security in the country.