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

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Otar Shamugia meets his Finnish Counterpart in Helsinki

During his working visit to the Republic of Finland, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia, met with Ms Sari Essayah, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.

At the meeting, the parties discussed the possibilities of deepening bilateral cooperation. Minister Shamugia briefed his Finnish counterpart on Georgia’s agricultural development policy and the progress achieved in recent years, noting that Georgia, as a candidate country for EU membership, actively continues to fulfill its obligations in the EU integration process.

""The agricultural sector in Georgia plays a significant role in the country's economy. Since 2012, the Government of Georgia has taken crucial and unprecedented steps for agricultural and rural development, reflected in large state investments in the mentioned areas. Moreover, the Government of Georgia implements over twenty state-level agricultural initiatives to ensure farmers access to preferential financial resources, including adopting global standards and increasing competitiveness", said Mr. Otar Shamugia.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia spoke about the ongoing efforts to adopt sustainable forest management principles in Georgia.

As stated by Mr. Shamugia, in May 2020, Georgia developed and adopted a new forest code with EU support. The respective code ensures biodiversity protection, improves quantitative and qualitative indicators of forests in Georgia, efficient use of forest resources for economic benefits, public involvement in forest management, and equitable distribution of benefits.
Mrs. Sari Essayah thanked Minister Shamugia for his visit to Finland.

"The Georgian delegation's visit to Finland was essential and fruitful. We have good relations. Today, we discussed the possibilities of expanding our bilateral cooperation and deepening trade relations. Georgia is making active strides towards joining the European Union. It is important that the process of harmonizing Georgia’s national legislation with the EU law is progressing effectively ", - said Mrs. Sari Esaya.

Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili,  First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, and Mr. Irakli Khutsurauli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden, attended the meeting.