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As part of his visit to France, David Songulashvili meets with the Director-General of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in Paris.
During his visit to France, Mr David Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental and Agriculture of Georgia, held a productive meeting with Mr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director-General of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), in Paris.
The discussion focused on key areas of cooperation between Georgia and WOAH. Minister Songulashvili emphasized the importance of WOAH standards and guidelines in strengthening Georgia’s national veterinary services and aligning them with international best practices.
He highlighted the ongoing reforms in Georgia’s animal health sector and expressed the country’s interest in more active engagement with WOAH platforms, particularly in training and capacity-building initiatives.
The conversation touched upon the importance of cooperation with WOAH in combating infectious animal diseases.
Minister Songulashvili noted that Georgia is actively working to enhance its animal health systems and obtain official disease-free status, for which WOAH's support is essential.
The Minister focused on veterinary education related issues, emphasizing that the support of the World Organization for Animal Health in improving training programs is crucial.
“Vocational education in veterinary fields is one of our top priorities. Significant progress has already been made, and starting in 2026, certification for veterinarians and veterinary technicians will become mandatory. I would like to take this opportunity to thank WOAH and its experts for their continued support in implementing these crucial reforms,” said Minister Songulashvili.
He also expressed his appreciation for the invitation to the 92nd General Session of WOAH and thanked the organization for its longstanding efforts in promoting global animal health. Georgia, he affirmed, stands ready to further contribute to international cooperation in this vital field.
In response, the Director-General thanked Minister Songulashvili for his visit to France.
“This was a very productive meeting. We had a comprehensive and meaningful discussion on vaccine/vaccination strategies and the current situation in Georgia. It is evident that the Minister is highly knowledgeable and fully committed to advancing veterinary services. Georgia plays an important role in animal health protection and is implementing several impactful programs,” he said.
The Heads of the National Food Agency, Mr Vasil Basiladze and Mr Giorgi Iakobashvili, and Mrs Ekaterine Kokaia, the Acting Ambassador of Georgia to France, accompanied the Minister.