Local Action Groups in Keda and Khulo Present Municipal Development Strategies

On October 12, the Georgian municipalities of Keda and Khulo hosted a presentation of their newly created Local Development Strategies at the Hilton Hotel in Batumi. The strategies were developed by the municipalities' Local Action Groups (LAGs), which were created with EU support through the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD).

The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell, emphasised at the presentation event that support to the rural development sector in Georgia is one of the priorities for the EU actions in the country. Ambassador Hartzell also addressed the importance of the partnership amongst LAGs as a vital component for ensuring sustainable rural development that includes local actors as implementers.

The EU-supported projects in Ajara are implemented by the non-governmental organization CENN in partnership with the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), the Institute of Democracy (IoD) and the Austrian Institute for Regional Studies and Spatial Planning (ÖIR) in Keda Municipality and by Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia in a partnership with the PMC Research Center and Croatian Rural Development Network (HMRR).

The EU supports rural development in Georgia through its ENPARD programme. Aiming to reduce rural poverty, ENPARD has been implemented since 2013, with a total budget of €179.5 million. The first phase of ENPARD focused on developing national agriculture potential, while the second and third phases focus on creating economic opportunities for the rural population that go beyond agricultural activities.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: ENPARD Georgia

Source: European Neighbourhood