A cooperation agreement has been signed between IDEA and the "Caucasus Nature Center"

On November 15, Leyla Aliyeva, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, met with Renata Shyushayte, the director of the “Caucasus Nature Center” Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization, at the organization’s headquarters in Moscow.

R. Shyushayte provided information about the activities and future plans of the organization she leads. She noted that the “Center for the Conservation and Protection of the Nature of the North Caucasus” Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization (“Caucasus Nature Center” ANCO) was established by the “North Caucasus Resorts” Joint-Stock Company. The goal of the “Caucasus Nature Center” ANCO is to systematically implement projects aimed at the protection, enhancement, and conservation of the natural resources of the North Caucasus, support ecological initiatives in the North Caucasus Federal District, and carry out nature conservation projects to protect rare and endangered species of the flora and fauna of the North Caucasus.

One of the Center’s main projects, the “Program for the Restoration (Reintroduction) of the Persian Leopard in the Caucasus,” has been implemented since 2007 at the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. To support the development of the program, the Leopard Restoration Center in the Caucasus was built in Sochi National Park.

Leyla Aliyeva, in turn, spoke about IDEA’s projects for the protection of rare animal species in the Caucasus, including the “Caucasus Big Five” program. Recalling her visit to Sochi National Park in June 2016, she positively assessed the work of the Leopard Restoration Center in the Caucasus established there. The Center is an institution focused on the population of leopards, a rare species in the Caucasus. Leyla Aliyeva emphasized the importance of combining the efforts of IDEA and the “Caucasus Nature Center” to increase the effectiveness of fauna conservation in the Caucasus.

During the meeting, a cooperation agreement was signed between the IDEA Public Union and the “Caucasus Nature Center” ANCO. According to the agreement, joint activities were defined between the parties in the field of leopard protection and population increase.

The parties discussed current regional environmental issues, including the protection of nature in border areas and public awareness, the reintroduction of European bison to the Caucasus and increasing their numbers, the conservation of the Caspian seal, the promotion of eco-tourism in the Caucasus, as well as the participation of Azerbaijani youth living in Russia in environmental projects to be implemented within the framework of “2017 – Year of Ecology.”