Brussels Conference Showcases FAO/EU Cooperation
To illustrate the different kinds of technical assistance provided by FAO under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) in Georgia, FAO and the European Union Delegation in Georgia organized a joint conference in Brussels DEVCO Infopoint.
Mr. Mathieu Bousquet, head of unit in DG NEAR, introduced the event. Juan Echanove, former Agriculture and Rural Development Attaché of the EU Delegation in Georgia, followed with an overview of the last two decades in Georgian agriculture. He underscored the importance of the ENPARD programme in the country.
“We are very proud of dual nature of ENPARD in Georgia. On one hand, ENPARD is an economic project and we can measure better production, better food prices, etc. On the other hand, the project is also connected with the social dimension of the country, as we saw that poverty is an issue in Georgia,” Echanove said.
Lasha Dolidze, National Project Manager, and Javier Sanz Alvarez, Coordination Officer for FAO-ENPARD Programme in Georgia then outlined support given by FAO to the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia concerning complex technical issues such as statistics, farm registry, seed certification, extension services and donor coordination.
The presenters stressed that the ENPARD Programme in general -- and the FAO component of it in particular -- are considered as examples of best practices in collaboration. They allow FAO to develop its potential for technical support in issues related to its mandate and to deliver quality results to the Government of Georgia with the assistance of funding from the EU and the Austrian Development Agency.
Participants from several EU Directorates and Civil Society attended the session, which was web streamed. It can be watched on the following link: