Georgia: Agriculture Ministry to continue cooperation with Centers for Disease Control

Tbilisi: The environment and Agriculture Ministry of Georgia will continue its cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); within the framework of the unified health framework.

The First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Giorgi Khanishvili, met with the delegation of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At the meeting, the discussion touched on the importance of the projects implemented with the support of the CDC in Georgia and issues of future cooperation.

Giorgi Khanishvili thanked the American side for supporting Georgia throughout the years in agriculture, including animal health protection, zoonotic disease control/prevention and laboratory capabilities strengthening.

“It is very important for us to support partners to ensure the implementation of our commitments made under the EU Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), which requires relevant technical bases, financial and human resources, as well as knowledge. I’d like to emphasize the importance of the CDC’s financial and technical support in areas not covered by state control. Georgia is a part of the world. Therefore, our country’s epic reliability affects other countries as well.

This is why it is important to implement projects that will ensure animal disease surveillance/control and the elimination of zoonotic diseases in the country. We are ready to do the best from the state to ensure that CDC-supported projects will be successfully implemented in the future, stated Deputy Agriculture Minister “Giorgi Khanishvili.

The meeting discussed the progress and results of joint CDC-funded projects (bird flu project (current), food poisoning research project, laboratory capacity development support project, Tsofi project, Crimea-Congo project and other implemented projects).

CDC representatives positively assessed the projects implemented by the Ministry and the results achieved. It was noted that the CDC, with other agencies, will continue to cooperate and support joint projects within the Unified Health Framework.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia and the relevant agency in its system and the CDC’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) office.