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

 The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Levan Davitashvili met with the President of the TRECE Inc (US) Bill Lingren and the delegation of leading universities and research centers in the United States. The list of the scientists was comprised of the representatives of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Virginia Technical University, Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania State Universities.
The participants discussed an action plan developed to fight against a new invasive pest - Asian Stink Bug in Georgia.
" The US delegation to visit Georgia, cooperation with American specialists and sharing their experiences is very important for us considering the challenge faced by Georgia" - said Levan Davitashvili.
According to Bill Lingren, Georgian government has a flexible and effective strategy to fight against invasive pests, although it is impossible to destroy Asian Stink Bug invasion in 2018. It is noteworthy, that within the visit, the US specialists will visit the regions to get familiar with the situation. American specialists, together with Georgian scientists, will participate in the symposium "Asian Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys) - Global Challenge, International Experience and Best Ways to Solve Problems".
The meeting was organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID / REAP) and TRECE Inc (USA).
The Deputy Minister Giorgi Khanishvili, Heads of the National Food Agency and the scientific research center of agriculture attended the meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture.