New Greenhouse Near Breakaway Abkhazia

A new greenhouse opened in Rukhi village in western Georgian near Georgia’s administrative border with breakaway Abkhazia last week. The idea to build a new greenhouse was initiated by the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and was implemented with the financial support of the Japanese Embassy to Georgia. The project cost USD 92,000 (196,880 GEL).

“This is one of the many examples of Japanese Embassy to Georgia and Georgian Governments in cooperation, the main aim of which is to serve the participation of Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) in the process- the majority of greenhouse staff are people who were displaced from Abkhazia,” said Otar Danelia, Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, adding that the number of displaced people has increased from 7,400 to 13,500 in the past 18 months.

The state official claimed that the new greenhouse’s main goal is to improve the social and economic conditions of displaced families and decrease unemployment in their communities. In this project, the IDPs will be involved in growing various kinds of vegetables as well as the Kolkhuri box-tree.

Besides this project, the Japanese Government is implementing a number of other projects including the construction of kindergartens, medical centers and museums in Georgia. The two sides agreed to continue cooperation and create other joint projects that will lead to a closer relationship between them.

Eka Karsaulidze