Third annual consultation meeting between the Government of Georgia and the French Development Agency (AFD) took place in Tbilisi on June 14 to discuss the implementation of ongoing development projects.
Eka Guntsadze, Deputy Minister of Finance, and Cécile Couprie, AFD Regional Director for Eurasia attended the meeting together with HE. Sheraz Gasri, Ambassador of France to Georgia.
Main Achievement of cooperation between Georgia and AFD is the increasing support to Agricultural development and Environmental protection.
The French-Georgian Agricultural cooperation is built on the innovative development approaches of the AFD/EU FinExCoop Georgia project and of the French Treasury/MEPA (Ministry of Environmental protection and Agriculture) FASEP Development of small ruminants in Georgia. Both projects have combined strategic policy advice with practical work for the improvement of technical capacities of Georgians in key value-chains, with large interactions with the French-Georgian University.
In June 2022 the European Union perspective was granted to Georgia alongside with the twelve recommendations to address the key reform areas in this process. The socially inclusive, and climate friendly modernization of the Georgian agrarian sector is expected to become the backbone of the French-Georgian cooperation. The scope of this cooperation is broad: it involves central governments, regional authorities through the PADAIG program approved by AFD Board in March 2023, the academic sector, private companies including cooperative enterprises, farmers organizations, and individual farmers.
On June 13, the French Delegation composed of AFD, Embassy of France, and the institutions: LACTALIS, Carrefour, UFG (Université Franco Géorgienne), and FinExCoop project together with the Georgian partners conducted site visits. This field trip celebrates two symbols of French and Georgian cooperation in the field: Santé Lactalis Factory, and a highly innovative vineyard and feedlot farm in Sartichala, co-owned by Georgian and French investors. The visits reflected the strategic importance of the agriculture in the French-Georgian partnership.
In honor of this agricultural cooperation of the two countries, Georgia will be the guest country of the Livestock Summit in Clermont-Ferrand, France in October 2023. It will be the occasion to better map up the future actions to be developed between the two countries.
Ambassador of France to Georgia HE. Sheraz Gasri: ‘I am delighted to participate to the Third Annual Consultations between AFD and the Georgian Government. France is a strong supporter of Georgia’s successful development and European aspirations. Fighting social inequalities through adequate social and health coverage, protecting environment, promoting energy and food security and sovereignty are our shared priorities. We have achieved progress and we will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders in Georgia, institutions as well as civil society organizations, within Team Europe to meet Georgia’s ambitions for the well-being of its people”.
Eka Guntsadze, Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia: “France has established itself as Georgia's leading partner during our cooperation by providing timely and effective assistance through AFD in line with the country's development priorities. I want to emphasize how much we appreciate your support and count on it continuing.
In addition, I would like to express our gratitude for the support AFD has provided for Georgia's economic development in key areas like energy independence and efficiency, irrigation, human capital, regional development, reform of state-owned enterprises (SOE), reform of the railway transportation, water supply, social security, healthcare, and the fight against climate change.
We declare our willingness to work with France to further advance our partnership in support of Georgia's ongoing economic and structural reforms.”
Tengiz Nasaridze, Deputy Minister Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia: “All the activities, programs and events that we plan and implement together with our partners, on the one hand, are aimed at maximum and effective utilization of the potential in the agricultural sector, promoting the production and sale of competitive Georgian products that are in demand on international markets, and on the other hand, our goal is to develop production and growth in parallel of protecting our environment, water, land and forest resources from pressure and damage. Accordingly, we are actively working on issues of implementation of international standards and European management systems. The support of our international partners and the sharing of best practices is the most important factor in achieving the set goals. I thank all international and donor organizations, including the French Development Agency, for many years of successful and planned future cooperation. ”
Cécile Couprie, AFD Regional Director for Eurasia: “Our partnership with Georgia was celebrated during the Annual Consultations Meetings, and is renewed for the next 2024-2027 period. It encloses financing on projects in the energy, water, human development and agriculture sectors, and entails Georgia’s strategic priorities. The annual consultations are a key moment to see the impacts of our projects together and how they contribute to the fight against climate change. AFD is honored to support Georgia in its European perspective and on the upcoming opportunities and challenges. ”
