EU Launched Rural Development Project in Tskaltubo Municipality

On 8 June, the EU launched a new rural development project in the Tskaltubo municipality of Georgia. The project aims to introduce a bottom-up, inclusive rural development approach that fully engages all communities in the municipality.

The “Local Action Group Tskaltubo” project is funded by the EU under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD). It will follow the earlier EU-supported rural development actions in Borjomi, Lagodekhi, Kazbegi, Dedoplistskaro, Tetritskaro, Akhalkalaki, Keda and Khulo municipalities of the country.

At the launch event, opening speeches were delivered by Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Khatia Tsilosani, Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Grigol Ioseliani, Mayor of Tskaltubo, Tsotne Zurabiani, Member of Parliament of Georgia, Dion Battersby, People in Need Country Director, and Salome Bakashvili, Project Manager.

“We are proud to be part of Georgia’s progress in rural development and look forward to continuing working with our partners to improve employment and living conditions of the rural population in Georgia,” said EU Ambassador Hartzell at the opening of the event, adding that he is a “strong believer in the benefits of a bottom-up approach in rural areas, empowering local people to take the development of their communities into their own hands”.

The EU supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD programme. Implemented since 2013 with a total budget of €179.5 million, the main goal of ENPARD is to reduce rural poverty.