A trans-border meeting was held to discuss issues related to veterinary medicine and public healthcare. This meeting was organized by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the National Food Agency of Georgia (NFA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United States Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Close cooperation between Georgia and Armenia is necessary for effective veterinary disease control and traceability. This demands regular meetings to exchange information and co-planning of control activities.

In terms of disease prevention as well as animals/animal products export, this kind of cooperation between Georgia and Armenia is of special importance for the NFA as international trade focuses not only on the epidemiological situation within the country but the whole region.

“Within the framework of the Trans-border cooperation, the parties jointly plan disease prevention measures, ensuring improved epizootic and epidemiological status and food safety,” said Mr. Lasha Avaliani, head of the NFA’s veterinary department.

FAO has supported the National Food Agency in the implementation of the National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) in Georgia since 2016. Traceability is one of the key element of the whole system, involving animal disease control, as well as the prevention of human infections.

According to Mr. Mikeil Sokhadze, National Animal Identification Program manager, “The most important component of the Animal Identification Program is traceability, which implies timely threat identification and then efficient eradication. Georgia and Armenia have intensive trade flows. Therefore, both sides are interested in improving the epidemiological status of the region.”

The US Department of Defence Threat Reduction Service (DTRA) is involved in the trans-border cooperation process, actively monitoring the most dangerous pathogens.