Baku, November 1, AZERTAC “Diversifying and modernizing the economy, reducing the country’s dependence on oil sector, ensuring closer integration into global markets and reducing production costs by improving productivity and farmers' financial well-being lies at the heart of a strategic approach to the modern phase of agrarian reforms,” Azerbaijan's Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov has told AZERTAC.The minister noted that during the Soviet era, under the leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan transformed into a rapidly developing country with a great potential in the agrarian and industrial sector through effectively using the existing resources and applying intensive development mechanisms.“The historic agrarian reforms successfully implemented under the leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev after Azerbaijan restored its independence, laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in the country,” Inam Karimov said. “And most importantly, due to the successful reforms carried out by the national leader, a successful transition to a new system based on free-market relations and private property was ensured.”Inam Karimov hailed the fact that Azerbaijan has already entered a qualitatively new stage of development thanks to the comprehensive work done over the past the past 15 years. He emphasized that it is President Ilham Aliyev’s policy aimed at ensuring independence, security, progress, modernization, social welfare and economic growth that lies at the heart of this development.