Agriculture Minister: planning new programmes with EU “important” for aligning policy to bloc’s standards
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Tuesday opened a conference The EU and Georgia Working Together for Sustainable Rural Development. Photo: Ministry of Agriculture
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Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Tuesday said it was “important” to plan new programmes with the European Union and define future priorities to make the country's agriculture policy “more compatible” with that of the bloc.
In his opening remarks for the conference The EU and Georgia Working Together for Sustainable Rural Development, Shamugia highlighted the importance of the EU’s “strong” support to implement a “number of important programmes and institutional reforms” in support of agriculture.
Shamugia said this support was “especially important” today, when the European Commission had given a “positive” recommendation regarding the granting of EU membership candidate status to Georgia next month.
We are waiting for a historic decision from the European Council. In this way, it is important to plan new programmes together with the EU and define future priorities, which will be even more compatible with the EU's agricultural policy. Today's conference serves this purpose, and I am sure that it will contribute to the fulfilment of these tasks”, Shamugia said.
In his speech Shamugia focused on the increased indicators of production and export of agricultural produce in the country, on the measures taken to promote agricultural products on the world market, on the programmes implemented with the support of the EU for the promotion of farmers.
Katalin German, the Deputy Head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Representation in Georgia, emphasised the importance of the conference in the way of Georgia's integration into the EU and for promoting rural and agricultural development in the country.
This year, the EU adopted a single document of [its] agricultural policy. We hope Georgia will implement important reforms in harmonisation with this policy. The EU has been supporting the development of agriculture in Georgia for many years. This gave very good results”, German said.
Douglas Webb, the head of the United Nations Development Programme in Georgia, noted the country had already taken “important steps” to bring Georgia's policy closer to EU standards.
The conference also saw panel discussions with the participation of Georgian and European officials, rural development specialists and experts.
Nino Tandilashvili, the Georgian Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, on Friday discussed joint projects and prospects for future cooperation with Michelle Koscielski, the Economic Growth Director of the United States Agency for International Development.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Lesley Bearman Lahm, the Asian Development Bank Country Director for Georgia on Friday signed a $48 million loan agreement for modernising the irrigation systems for agriculture in the country and supporting institutional reforms.
Solomon Pavliashvili, the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Thursday featured in a meeting reviewing the World Bank’s report on recent progress and challenges in transitioning countries including Georgia to a green economy.
Steps to be implemented within the Georgia Resilient Agriculture, Irrigation and Land Project were discussed in a meeting between the Georgian Agriculture Minister Otar Shamuagia and Rolande Pryce, the Regional Director of the World Bank in the South Caucasus, in Tbilisi on Monday, the Ministry said.
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and Michael Francom, the Regional Director of the United States Department of Agriculture, on Thursday discussed topics of agricultural trade, cattle breeding industry and related challenges in a meeting held in Tbilisi.
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Monday featured in the United Nations Climate Change Conference hosted in the United Arab Emirates, and met counterparts from the Czech Republic and Japan at the event.
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Tuesday discussed prospects for future cooperation with Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, in a meeting held as part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference hosted in the United Arab Emirates.
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, on Thursday discussed ongoing projects and prospects for future cooperation with Liam Chicca, the Regional Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development during their meeting in Tbilisi.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Wednesday said Georgia “continues progressing on its EU enlargement track” as the bloc’s candidate country, after his meeting with Georgian Agriculture Minister Otar Shamugia.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday met Douglas Webb, the new head of the United Nations Development Programme in Georgia, to discuss results of the UNDP’s parliamentary project.