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

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Otar Shamugia meets Eugene Zhukov, Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Central and West Asia Regional Department

Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Mr. Otar Shamugia hosted Eugene Zhukov, Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Central and West Asia Regional Department.

The Minister expressed gratitude to the representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for their long-term support in the implementation of important projects. Special attention was paid to the projects being successfully implemented in Georgia, namely, projects for rehabilitation and modernization of the irrigation network in Kvemo Samgori, restoration of windbreaks, and projects supporting agricultural activities in the country.

Mr. Otar Shamugia underlined the role of international and donor organizations in the effective development of the agricultural sector and emphasized the importance of introducing new technologies in the agricultural sector. The conversation also touched upon the challenges of climate change facing the country and discussed solutions for combating climate change.

Mr. Zhukov briefed the Minister about the goals of the Asian Development Bank, which aim to provide support for the agricultural sector, he also expressed interest in water management-related issues. 

Mr. Shamugia noted, that the development of the strategic water management plan and the fulfillment of the obligations taken by Georgia under the Association Agreement with the EU is a priority for the country.

‘’Establishing a basin management system is a new challenge; we should develop water resources management plans for river basins, therefore, the support from our international partners in this area will be important’’ - said Mr. Shamugia.

Mr. Evgeni Zhukov expressed readiness to cooperate with the Georgian side and share best practices for the implementation of the basin management system in Georgia.

The Minister spoke at length about the priorities of the country, regarding environmental protection.

"We have developed a Nationally Determined Contributions, which presents the vision of our country on how to reduce greenhouse gases and fulfill the international commitments, that we have made to achieve sustainable development goals.

‘’We consider climate change-related issues as a top priority of our agenda; when we speak about climate change adaptation, we should bear in mind, that it is necessary to build a climate-resilient infrastructure that will enable farmers to carry out their agricultural activities and produce agricultural products in the light of climate change," said Mr. Otar Shamugia.

At the meeting, the representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) named transport, communications, industry, energy, agriculture, and financial sector as top investment priorities.


The meeting was attended by Mr. Shane Rosenthal, Country Director for Georgia at Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mr. Avtandil Tskhvitava, ADB Senior Project Officer, Mr. George Khanishvili, First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili, Deputy Minister and representatives of relevant agencies of the Ministry.