3 million Euros – this is an annual budget of Development Cooperation of the Czech Embassy to Georgia. This amount of money is distributed to several programs that aim to support Georgia in different fields. Priority sectors for the development cooperation are: Inclusive social development, Agriculture and Rural Development and Good democratic governance.
Jana Zelingerova heads Development Cooperation of the Czech Embassy in Georgia.
We are approaching the end of the 2021 year, how would you assess the work done by Czech Embassy in Georgia during the year? What achievements you have in terms of development cooperation?
Czech Embassy in Tbilisi has kept on with its active engagement throughout this year, despite the circumstances related to the pandemics. Most of the development cooperation projects stayed on the envisaged track with planned activities, some of them were extended in order to better respond to the pandemic related needs, some of them needed to be modified due to travel restrictions. I am happy to say that thanks to extensive efforts of all stakeholders we will be able to complete successfully several of our large-scale interventions in the sector of social inclusion by the end of this year. To mention some of those, Czech Republic has established a completely new cancer screening center in Zugdidi, assisted in introduction of palliative care for children at Tbilisi State Medical University and helped to improve services provided to children with autism. These are just few of great and tangible achievements for the benefit of vulnerable groups of people in Georgia.
I am very proud to say that with our annual budget around three million euros (which can look modest compared to other big donors), the outcomes of the Czech development cooperation are really visible, sustainable and address directly the needs, especially those of most vulnerable groups of people.
Czech Development program focuses on transfer of Czech experience and experience with EU approximation. Do you see challenges on this regards? How Georgia is getting closer to the EU?
Yes, indeed, all our development program focuses on sharing Czech experiences and lessons learned within the process of EU approximation that can look very long, complex and sometimes even unreachable. In my view, one of added values of the Czech cooperation is still fresh memory of our country in terms of this procedure and challenges we also faced when we joined the EU back in 2004. Within all our projects, Czech experts are ready to share openly not only highlights and success stories of this lengthy path but also failures and lessons to be avoided by Georgia.
Georgia is implementing European standards. How would you assess Georgia’s progress?
Fulfilling EU standards is a pre-condition for all candidates wishing to join EU family. It requires lots of political will for necessary reforms, technical expertise and sufficient budget. Czech Republic has been largely, and for years now, supporting Georgia for instance in introduction of standardized phytosanitary surveillance system or sound management of chemicals. In the upcoming period, Czech Development Agency together with FAO will implement an EU funded project on food safety that is also focusing on introduction of EU standards in this field. So, substantial and solid basements in terms of legislation and technical knowledge is being provided through these projects, however implementation of the outcomes and their transfer into better-quality life of Georgian citizens is fully in hands of local authorities.
Your bilateral program 2018-2023 has 3 priority sectors: Inclusive social development, Agriculture and Rural Development and Good democratic governance. Why you have chosen these three sectors? How you define the priorities of your work in Georgia?
Our bilateral program is a result of a dialogue between different stakeholders on both sides, including public and private sector and civil society. Definition of priority sectors is then based on an appropriate combination of development needs of Georgia and the areas where the Czech Republic can offer its technical expertise, experience and know-how and Czech innovative solutions. It also reflects a natural continuation of well-established cooperation in some fields and thus enhances the sustainability of our previous achievements.
I would also like to point out that the Czech cooperation in Georgia offers great variety of tools and instruments that go beyond these three priority sectors. As you probably know, apart from being one of six priority partner development countries for the Czech Republic, Georgia also benefits of being among priority partner countries for transformation cooperation. Through this Transition program we support civic society and independent media in their endeavor to strengthen democratic values and respect of human rights in general.
You have several programs aimed at supporting SMEs. What are their main problems? Where they need support?
Yes, indeed. Strong private sector and particularly SMEs are in my perspective one of the key engines of development of any country. Therefore, the Czech cooperation program involves also instruments for the support of local economic sector, for instance B2B program or Challenge fund in partnership with UNDP that brings Czech innovative solutions to the country. One of the success stories within Challenge Fund program, supporting SMEs, is for instance establishment of a local innovation ecosystem around Rustavi's Business Incubator. Small businesses and start-up initiatives especially in rural areas can also reach to financial support from Czech funds by their participation in the grants scheme provided by Local Action Groups. I think there is a huge potential of increasing cooperation between the two countries in the field of private sector and particularly SMEs.
Czech Republic is just about to start implementation EU funded projects in social code and Food safety in Georgia. CzDA plans to open its office in Georgia to manage these projects. How long-term is this plan and what CzDA office will bring to Georgia after social code and food safety projects?
Czech Development Agency office has been opened at the premises of the Czech Embassy recently in order to better implement both EU funded projects in the following years. We believe that we can reach expected achievements only with a constant presence of Czech project management team in Georgia.
Thanks to the trust the CzDA was given by EU for the implementation of its funds (by the way, for the first time in Georgia), the Agency will certainly confirm its strong position of a reliable partner in this country. Therefore, I believe that the portfolio covered directly by CzDA office in Tbilisi could be expanded to bilateral projects as well in the future. For the moment, as you know, bilateral projects under the implementation of CzDA are covered from Prague office with a large engagement and support of Development department of the Embassy.
You also support independent media in Georgia. What kind of support do you provide?
Transitional program of the Czech Republic offers a variety of tools assisting civil society and independent media in Georgia. Apart from larger-scale projects supporting for instance introduction of media literacy methodology through documentary films, assisting in better countering foreign malign influence or supporting civic activism in South Caucasus, the Embassy opens a call for grants for small transitional projects or support of independent media. Additionally, apart from program of government scholarships for around 30 Georgian students every year, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Radio Free Europe also offers a specific scholarship called Václav Havel Journalism Fellowship to support young journalists from Eastern Partnership Countries. These calls are announced on our website as well as FB page, so follow us and don´t miss it.
What projects should Georgia expect from the Czech Embassy for the next year?
As I have mentioned at the beginning, we are coming to a successful closing-up of several broad-scale projects in the sector of social inclusion by the end of this year. However, and I am happy to confirm that Czech Republic will remain one of the key and reliable international partners in social and health sector in Georgia in the upcoming years as well. We will continue our support of improving primary healthcare services by introduction of a very advanced electronic management system (which still not present in some of EU countries, by the way) and also, we will go on with providing specialized training of doctors in the field of oncological diseases as well as equipment delivery to partner hospitals.
Together with local institutions (namely Ministry of internally displaced persons from the occupied territories, labor, health and social affairs of Georgia and State Care Agency), Czech Republic will continue its technical and financial support in the process of deinstitutionalization in Georgia. This is a process of closing up of big institutional facilities for people with disabilities and creating alternative social services that will provide decent and better-quality life conditions for this vulnerable group of citizens.
Next to these complex large-scale projects, Czech Republic will continue supporting independent media and civic activism in the country, offer small-scale grants, programs in support of private partnerships, cooperation between universities and scholarships for master and doctoral programs at Czech universities.
So, our list of activities planned for 2022 is very long and I am truly looking forward to the cooperation with local partners since behind every achievement, there is a hard team work based on mutual trust and partnership.
I wish and hope that our joint efforts will bring sustainable and systematic changes for great people of this beautiful country that has so much potential.
Good Luck, Georgia, in 2022!
