Danish Neigbourhood Programme 2017-21 prioritises Georgia

Georgia and Ukraine have been selected as "priority countries” to receive Danish support for the next four years.

The Danish Foreign Ministry presented the Danish Neigbourhood Programme 2017-21 in Copenhagen yesterday.

Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen announced Georgia as one of the two priority countries and stressed the recent "exemplary reforms” in the country.

Presentation of the Danish neighbourhood Programme 2017-21 i Copenhagen. Photo: MFA of Georgia.

The programme, which will be approved this autumn, will have a total budget of 800 million DKK (about €107.5 million / $120.5 million USD). It will focus on two directions in the priority countries:

• Democracy and human rights
• Inclusive economic growth

The Neighbourhood Programme is Denmark's bilateral development programme for European Union’s neighbouring countries to the east and southeast. The overall objective of the Neighbourhood Programme is to promote human rights, democracy and economic development.

Denmark first launched its Neigbourhood Programme in 2004 and currently its third phase is underway. 1 billion DKK was allocated for the Neighbourhood Programme 2013-17 and was carried out with approximately 200 million DKK a year.

Seven priority countries in the region were selected to receive the Danish support in 2013-2017. In the Western Balkans the countries were Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Among the Eastern Partnership countries Ukraine, Belarus (assistance was limited to the pillar of Human Rights and Democracy), Moldova and Georgia were prioritised.