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

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Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Kakha Kakabadze, together with the representatives of the central apparatus of the Ministry and relevant structural units are paying a working visit to Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Within the framework of the official visit to Austria, the Georgian Delegation held a meeting with Mrs. Maria Patek, Deputy Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions, and Water Management of Austria. The parties discussed the Austrian business model for forest management, integrated disaster risk management, and climate change-related issues.



As stated by the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Kakha Kakabadze, the establishment of a sustainable forest management system is crucial for the ecological, economic and social well-being of the country, and it plays an outstanding role in the climate change adaptation and mitigation process as well. Accordingly, our primary task is to manage the forests by taking into account the principles of sustainable forest management, as well as national interests.

"Austria is one of the important partners of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. For many years, the Ministry had been in close cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency (ADC), which supports the development of the agriculture and forestry sector in Georgia as priority areas. Moreover, several projects have already been carried out and are planned to be implemented in the country through the financial support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADC)"- said the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Kakha Kakabadze.

During the meeting, Mrs. Maria Patek focused on bilateral cooperation in the agricultural development and environmental protection fields.

"The sustainable use of forests is crucial to mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity. Georgia is one of our important partners in this regard", said Mrs. Maria Patek, Deputy Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management of Austria.

Mrs.  Maia Bitadze, Chair of the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee, of the Parliament of Georgia, Mrs. Khatia Tsilosani, the Deputy Chairperson, as well as representatives of the Emergency Management Service and the National Security Council attended the meeting.

Within the framework of the official visit to Austria, the members of the Georgian delegation will meet representatives of the Austrian University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), the Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), the Natural Disasters Research Institute and the Geopark Karawanken.



The visit to Austria was planned within the framework of the Project "Sustainable Forest Management for Rural Development". The project is implemented by the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), with the financial support of the Austrian Development Agency.