Tbilisi: Georgian Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, at a meeting held in the US Interior Department, thanked Antonella Bassani, the World Bank Vice President in Europe and Asia, for 30 years, for the important support provided by the World Bank in the implementation of the ongoing reforms and GRAIL project.Â
Since 2014, with the support of the World Bank, the irrigation and land market development project is underway in Georgia.
 The project aims to improve irrigation and drainage services, as well as policies and procedures required for land registration. It should be noted that we are having good results in this regard, which is very much appreciated,” the Minister said.
 Otar Shamugia expressed hope that successful cooperation and achieved positive results will encourage such large-scale projects in cooperation with the World Bank to continue.
During the meeting, it was noted that in 2023 World Bank’s new investment project “Georgia’s Sustainable Agriculture Irrigation and Land” (GRAIL), which is aimed at developing sustainable and productive agriculture, will begin. The total cost of the project is 150 million euros.
 As the Vice President of the World Bank noted, the World Bank will continue to cooperate with Georgia and implement projects in the direction of agriculture. Antonella Bassani welcomed the Minister’s immediate involvement in the planning and implementation of World Bank projects.
 The meeting, together with Minister Otar Shamugia, was attended by Georgian Ambassador of Emergency and Plenipotentiary to the United States, David Zalkaliani and First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture Nino Tandilashvili.
