Tbilisi: First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Giorgi Khanishvili met with John Panell, Head of USAID Agency for International Development (USAID) and Director of USAID Economic Growth Office Marika Olson in Georgia, where they discussed possibilities of continuing the program “Plant Security System Initiative” to strengthen the National Food Agency and prospects for future cooperation.
Giorgi Khanishvili thanked the US government and the US International Development Agency for many years of cooperation and stressed the importance of support to the National Food Agency.
“Our efforts are directed to the implementation of EU directives. The project to protect the plants is coming to an end. I would like to inform you that through this project, we have been able to effectively fight the Asian leprosy, however the challenges still exist. In the EU evaluation document we have instructions on the implementation of the drafted normative acts.
If the program continues, we will have the opportunity to develop a special plant protection electronic program that will provide complete research. As a result, Georgia will be able to produce safe and quality products and export them to EU markets. “To achieve these goals, your support is important”, – said Giorgi Khanishvili.
“Any other directional assistance will be ineffective if the country fails to calculate phytosanitary risks, monitor appropriately as well as identify risk management measures.” These are the goals we want to achieve within the continuation of the “Plant Security System Initiative” program, if we have your support, said Zura Chekurashvili, the head of the National Food Agency.
John Panel spoke in detail about the importance of partnership and friendly relations between countries and focused on continuing cooperation.
According to Marika Olson, the goal of the United States International Development Agency is that the products produced in Georgia can compete with the products presented on international markets and expressed willingness to cooperate in this direction.
