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

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Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Otar Shamugia made opening remarks at the conference "EU and Georgia Working Together for Sustainable Rural Development".

"Rural and agricultural development is one of the main priorities for the Government of Georgia. For years, we have been implementing various important programs and institutional reforms in this direction with the strong support of the European Union, which is especially vital today since the European Commission has given a positive recommendation to award Georgia EU candidate status, and we are waiting for a historic decision from the European Council. On this path, it is crucial to collaborate with the European Union to plan new joint programs and set future priorities that are more compatible with the European Union's agricultural policy. Today's conference serves this purpose, and I am confident that it will contribute to the fulfillment of these tasks", said Mr. Otar Shamugia.

The Minister focused on the increased indicators of production and export of agro-food products in the country, including efforts taken to promote agricultural products on the global market and programs launched with European Union funding to promote farmers.
The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation Projects Unit in Georgia, Mrs. Katalin German, emphasized the significance of the conference in terms of Georgia's integration into the European Union on the one hand and supporting rural and agricultural development in the nation on the other.

"This year, the European Union adopted a unified document of its agricultural policy. We hope that Georgia will adopt significant reforms to bring it into line with our policy. The European Union has been supporting agricultural development in Georgia over the years, which has brought very good results. We are happy to continue cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the United Nations Development Program for the success of these processes," said Mrs. Katalin German.

According to the Head of the United Nations Development Program in Georgia, Mr. Douglas Webb, Georgia has already taken crucial steps to bring its policy closer to EU standards.

The conference included panel discussions with the participation of Georgian and European officials, rural development specialists, and experts. The conversation touched upon the development and implementation of sustainable rural development policy in the context of Georgia's rapprochement with the European Union. The conference "EU and Georgia Working Together for Sustainable Rural Development" was organized by the Government of Georgia, financed by the European Union and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program.