Solomon Pavliashvili participates in intergovernmental negotiation committee sessions in Canada

Georgia: Solomon Pavliashvili, a key figure as the deputy minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, played a pivotal role in the fourth session of the intergovernmental negotiation committee in Ottawa, Canada, on April 30, 2024.

Solomon Pavliashvili met with Canadian Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sandra McCardell during the visit.

The meeting was a platform to underscore the importance of environmental reforms in Georgia, with a shared belief that strengthening ties between countries will significantly enhance cooperation in environmental protection and the fight against climate change.

Solomon Pavliashvili also spoke about the importance of granting Georgia EU candidate status, a significant step that will [insert benefits or implications], and focused on prioritizing timely and effective implementation of recommendations. This status, if granted,will further strengthening Georgia’s commitment to environmental reforms.

As Solomon Pavliashvili noted, the country has a waste management system based on European approaches, implanted by the manufacturer’s expanded commitment, which is one of the critical factors for the development of the circular economy in the country.

Deputy Minister Sandra McCardell provided information on policy documents—the updated National Waste Management Strategy of Georgia 2016-2030 and the National Waste Management Action Plan 2022-2026. One important direction of the latter is improving the country’s plastic waste management system.

The conversation also touched upon the importance of improving atmospheric air quality and reforms to combat climate change.

As Sandra McCardell noted, it is impressive that Georgia has taken in environmental areas, including steps taken to ensure sustainable waste management and the desire to deepen cooperation between countries in this regard.

It should be noted that the goal of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee is to develop a mandatory international legal instrument for the prevention of plastic, including in the marine environment.

The Georgian Emergency and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Canada attended the meeting.