Georgia-Qatar sign two deals solidifying agriculture partnership

Qatari businessmen are mainly interested in Georgia’s agriculture and real estate sectors. Photo by Georgia's Ministry of Agriculture.
Agenda.ge, 30 Mar 2016 - 18:31, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia and Qatar are deepening links in the agricultural sector by signing two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the fields of veterinary health and livestock production, and economic scientific and technical cooperation in agriculture.

The two deals were signed by Georgia’s Agriculture Minister Otar Danelia and Qatar’s Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi today in Doha. The Georgian official is on a visit to Qatar’s capital to meet a number of top officials.

The first Memorandum aimed to exchange information on veterinary health and animal production activities and to exchange information through an early warning system on changing epidemiological situations.

The second MoU supported the import and export of food and agricultural products between the two countries. It also supported cooperation between scientific research centres and cooperation in the fields of veterinary, plant protection and measures to combat diseases, pests and weed control.

Danelia and Abdullah al-Rumaihi both believed the deals would strengthen the existing bilateral ties in agricultural investment and livestock production, and both nations would benefit from them.

Georgia and Qatar already enjoy fruitful cooperation through importing live animals.

Meanwhile, Danelia also visited the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industries where he met local business society representatives. Danelia invited Qatari businessmen to visit Georgia and explore the trade and investment opportunities available in in his home nation.

While at the Qatar Chamber of Commerce Danelia met board member Mohamed Ahmed al-Obaidly. The meeting dealt with ways to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries’ business societies.

The Georgian Minister welcomed Qatari investments and made a presentation on the key investment sectors such as transport, tourism, food security and agriculture, which constituted 10 percent of Georgia’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ahmed al-Obaidly stressed Qatari businessmen were keen to explore opportunities in the Georgia’s agriculture and real estate sectors, and in other areas.