Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

40 journalists of top media outlets of Georgia attended an informational meeting on Strategic Priorities of Georgia's Rural Development and 2018-2020 Strategy and Action Plan, which was held in Kvareli on March 17-18. The meeting was held with the initiative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and support of the EU and UNDP.
"Rural development is a new but strategically important concept for Georgia. Its introduction and implementation will be reflected in a number of key areas, including economics, environmental protection, social issues and agriculture. Open and transparent cooperation with civil society and media is crucial for successful implementation of National Rural Development Strategy and Action Plan"-said Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili.
The partipants discussed issues related to the implementation of the Rural Development Strategy. The First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Nodar Kereselidze  drew his attention to the creation and implementation of rural development policies and shared the experience of EU countries and possibilities of using it in Georgian reality. Furthermore, participants made a focus on the implementation of the 2017 Action Plan for Rural Development and brought forward future plans.
The meeting included working groups where journalists discussed challenges and possibilities of effective dissemination of information on rural development and presented their own vision of communication materials targeted at various auditories. The first National Strategy and Action Plan of Georgia was adopted in March 2017. The Strategy aims at introduction of the European model of Rural Development and determines the national vision of Georgia in terms of growth and diversification of local economy, development of social and public services, sustainable use of natural resources and engagement of citizen in the development process. The large-scale national discussion with the participation of the Government of Georgia, Parliament, Local Government, Civil Society and Private Sector preceded the adoption of the Strategy.
The process of adoption and implementation of the National Rural Development Strategy is supported by the EU (UNDP) within the framework of the EU's Wider Initiative ENPARD.
With the help of the ENPARD, the European Union (EU) promotes rural poverty reduction and introduces modern practices in rural development, the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development in Georgia. The program is implemented by ENPARD since 2013 with the budget amounting to 179 million euros. The first phase of the program was the promotion of agricultural development, while the second phase aims to increase the economic development of rural people. For more information please visit the website: www.enpard.ge.