German Ambassador inspects development cooperation projects in western Georgia
The Embassy also said sustainable urban development and improvement of urban mobility was discussed during Fischer’s visit to the Black Sea city of Batumi, with the delegation being introduced to the city's cycling infrastructure strategy, bicycle renting scheme and its concept for pedestrian traffic. Photo: Deutsche Botschaft Tiflis
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Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday inspected projects being implemented in western Georgia through development cooperation between the two countries.
The German Embassy in Tbilisi said Fischer, the Embassy’s economic cooperation team and representatives from the KfW Credit Institute for Reconstruction and the GIZ German Society for International Cooperation visited Zestaponi Substation, a facility in the country’s western region of Imereti that has been rehabilitated with financial support from Germany.
The infrastructure plays an “important role” in the country’s electricity supply, the diplomatic office noted, adding around €135 million had been used to support electricity transmission over the last 10 years.
New 470-km transmission lines were laid or rehabilitated via the latter institution’s support for the initiative, which allowed small hydroelectric plants with more than 400 MW capacity to be connected to the national power grid.
The Embassy also said sustainable urban development and improvement of urban mobility was discussed during Fischer’s visit to the Black Sea city of Batumi, with the delegation being introduced to the city's cycling infrastructure strategy, bicycle renting scheme and its concept for pedestrian traffic.
Nearly 2,000 bus drivers from transport companies in Batumi and Georgia’s capital Tbilisi have benefited from training sessions that covered “energy-efficient and safe” driving practices, as well as passenger communication last year, the diplomatic representation noted.
Urban development cooperation also includes a project for improvement of the Batumi water infrastructure, with KfW allocating €55 million to support modern water facilities in the city, including construction of a purifying plant and renovation of other water supply facilities.
A memorandum of cooperation was also signed between the city’s administration and GIZ to create an urban laboratory to develop and test “various projects” for the city.