The Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia David Songulashvili attended the UN high-level conference, which is currently being held in Nice, France. The conference was started on June 9 and will end on June 13. Notably, the Conference is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.
The conference was attended by leaders from more than 100 countries, ministers of environmental protection, and other high-ranking officials.
The global conference discussed the challenges of climate change, biodiversity protection, waste pollution prevention, and pollution reduction in the seas and oceans; with particular focus on the impact of climate change on the marine environment and the importance of a united approach to tackle it.
David Songhulashvili gave a wonderful speech at the UN high-level conference in which he spoke about the sustainable development agenda of Georgia and focused on the steps taken by the country to protect the Black Sea and its ecosystem.
During his speech at the conference, the Minister said that protecting the environment is declared one of the top priorities of the Georgian government. “We implement environmental policy and continue to harmonize legislation with EU best practice, following the EU Association Treaty and the Association Agenda,” David Songhulashvili added.
According to him, the Black Sea is not only an economic resource – it is Georgia’s maritime gateway into the global space. The Environment Minister stated,” We continue our regional collaboration and coordination with international partners on scientific research, sustainable waste management, plastic pollution prevention, and biodiversity protection.”
It is worth noting that, Georgia is actively taking measures to protect its rich marine ecosystem; 155 square kilometers of marine area is declared a protected area. Georgia’s distinctive biodiversity is protected by protected areas and an emerald network, which covers more than 23% of the country’s territory.
Minister Songhulashvili also mentioned that the Georgian government is actively working on increasing this indicator by 2030 by 30%, by which it will fulfill international obligations. “I would like to mention here that Kolkata National Park, which includes the first marine protected area of the country, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List,” he added.
