Georgia announces mountain development strategy for 2019-2023
Adishi – a small village, 6,000 feet above sea level, in Georgia’s high mountainous region of Svaneti. Photo: N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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A total of 66 million GEL (about $24.84m/€21.90m) will be spent on developing mountainous regions in Georgia, to improve infrastructure and conditions for those living there.
The money is allocated by the National Council for Mountain Development and the Fund for the Development of the Highlands of Georgia will be spent on projects that are included to Georgia’s new mountain development strategy.
The Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze presented today the ‘Development of High Mountain Regions of Georgia 2019-2023’, which addresses the challenges faced by the highland population of Georgia and promotes local economic development in the mountainous regions.
We would have liked to have such a strategy since the day of Independence of Georgia. This would have enabled us to solve many problems that the Georgian mountain areas face earlier. But I am sure this strategy will enable us to solve all major problems in the shortest period of time”, said Bakhtadze.
Bakhtadze stated that one of the priorities of the strategy is the sustainable development of Georgia’s highlands, supporting small and medium sized business there, farming and cooperative development, promotion and production of demanded agricultural products.
Development of road infrastructure will continue, new roads will be built along with repair of the old ones that will enable us fully to use highland region’s economic and tourism potential. 4-season tourism infrastructure and services will be developed in mountainous areas and renovation of cultural monuments will be continued there”, said Bakhtadze.
Bakhtadze highlighted the importance of the Mountain Law that came into force in July 2015 and since than 1,730 villages have been recognised as high-mountainous settlements in Georgia, where over 300,000 residents benefit from the law, “which is almost 10% of Georgia’s population”, said Bakhtadze.
The event was held within the International Mountain Day which Georgia marks for the first time today. ‘MountainsMatter’ is the theme chosen for this year’s celebration of International Mountain Day that has been marked worldwide on December 11 since 2003.
Today symbolic awards were given to people who contributed to the development of Georgia’s mountains, people who live and work in the country’s highland areas.
Within the celebration of the International Mountain Day a fair of goods produced in the highlands was also held.
Bakhtadze initiated the establishment of a local celebration of ‘Mountain Week’, which will symbolically be held in Georgia on the day of the issuance of the ‘Mountain Law’ of Georgia – July 16.
Also a faculty of the Sustainable Development of Mountains will be created at the Georgian Technical University.
The government of Georgia is redoubling efforts to avoid the reduction of population in mountainous areas of the country, initiating an increase of the list of high mountainous settlements and accordingly the number of beneficiaries of the Mountain Law.
The residents of 14 more villages can now enjoy special benefits guaranteed by the Mountain Law, announced the government of Georgia. Upgrading the living standards of the populations of mountainous areas is one of the top objectives of the government, said Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
The Georgian government will continue to support Georgia’s high mountain regions to improve infrastructure and conditions for those living there in a bid to reduce migration from rural areas to the city.
The Georgian Government will continue to support Georgia’s high mountain regions to improve standards of life there.
The European Union, Sweden and Austria are teaming up to develop mountain tourism and organic agriculture in Georgia’s Zemo Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and Imereti mountainous regions with a budget of €6.8 million.
Locals to choose how to spend the budget
A government programme aimed at supporting rural development across Georgia has resumed after a two-year pause.
Residents of Georgian villages will receive twice as much funding as was previously allocated within the within the framework of a special government programme aimed at supporting rural development in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has praised the government’s rural support programme, aimed at supporting rural development across Georgia and said this is “one of his favourite programmes”.
A total of 28 projects have been completed in six Georgian municipalities through a government programme that aims supporting rural development.
Internet was made available in Georgian village of Roshka, Khevsureti region yesterday as part of a large-scale government internetization programme. Minister Turnava said the locals are provided with free trainings on how to place information on their guesthouses on international tourist websites.
Of 4,808 infrastructure projects selected by citizens in the government’s rural support programme for this year, 3,212 have already been completed, while the rest of the infrastructure projects are underway and will be completed by the end of the year, the Ministry of Infrastructure has stated earlier today.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Government members on Saturday visited Tusheti, Georgia’s northern highland region, to mark the annual Mountain Week and local Tushetoba celebrations with citizens of the mountainous locality.