Hub for health food, organic products launches in Tsageri, west Georgia
The total financing of the GRETA project is €6.8 million and is funded by the European Commission, Sweden and the Austrian Development Cooperation. Photo: tsageri.gov.ge.
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The Hub for Healthy Gastronomy and Organic Products in the Mountains (GRETA Hub) has launched in Tsageri, a small mountainous town in western Georgia’s Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region.
The aim of the hub is to promote tourism in Tsageri region and support local businesses.
It will bring together local initiatives and products in sustainable gastronomic tourism and organic agriculture. Through the hub people can find out about opportunities of cooperation and make new contacts.
The GRETA Hub was officially opened today by Austrian Ambassador to Georgia Arad Benkö and Tsageri municipality Mayor Avtandil Ugrekhelidze.
Green Economy: Sustainable Mountain Tourism & Organic Agriculture (GRETA) is a four-year project which supports the development of Georgian small and medium enterprises, improvement of the business environment and makes new opportunities for earning income in mountain tourism and organic agriculture.
The EU believes in the great potential of Georgia's mountainous regions. This project will boost economic development and raise incomes in mountainous regions, while fully respecting and preserving their natural beauty and cultural heritage,” said Carl Hartzell, the Ambassador of the European Union back in December, 2018.
The GRETA project started in 2019.
The total financing of the GRETA project is €6.8 million and is funded by the European Commission (€3 million), Sweden (€2.8 million) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (€1 million).
The Swedish government will allocate 2.3 million USD to provide support for Georgian small and medium-sized businesses, which work in the fields of information and communication technologies, business consulting, internet design and architecture.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has visited Sweden for the first time in eight years, having held meetings with the State Secretary to Minister for EU Affairs Paula Carvalho Olovsson, head of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Carin Jamtin and members of the Georgian diaspora.
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 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.
Georgian businesses located in highland areas now will have the right to sell their goods not only in highland areas, but also in the whole territory of Georgia and will also be able to export their goods outside the county without losing their “highland business” status and thus without canceling their preferential tax status, announced the Ministry of Finance.
Georgian pensioners older than 70 years old and who reside in the country’s highland areas will be paid a pension of 263 GEL ($90.41/€81.65) from January 1, 2020 and of 300 GEL ($103.13/€93.14) from July 1, 2020, announced Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at a presentation held on the occasion of International Mountain Day earlier today.
People living in highland villages near the occupation line between Georgia and its Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) will soon get benefits granted by the Mountain Law, announced Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia at today's government meeting.
The European Union, Sweden and Austria have allocated €1.16 million under the Local Development Initiative (LDI) to support the organic agriculture sector of Georgia.
A group of 20 Georgian mountain guides have obtained international licences recognised in 25 countries worldwide after undergoing a trail guide retraining course co-financed by the European Union.