DCFTA Roundtable Discussion in Ozurgeti

On 23 June 2017, under the framework of the dialogue between the public and private sectors on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), a regional roundtable workshop was organized by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, with the support of the European project Facility for the Implementation for the Association Agreement in Georgia, on the topic of implementation of the obligations under DCFTA. Held in Zugdidi, the discussion was attended by more than 60 local entrepreneurs and farmers from the honey, nuts, bay leaf’s, blueberries and other industries.

The Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Mr. Genadi Arveladze, and First Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Nodar Kereselidze, talked about the planned and implemented reforms under the DCFTA, state grant programmes and other actions that aim to enable local entrepreneurs to take advantage and reap the benefits of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU.

The participants of the round table also discussed the challenges and perspectives of the DCFTA, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements and other DCFTA-related matters, as well as specific challenges faced by the attending entrepreneurs and the potential solutions.

At the close of the workshop, Mr. Genadi Arveladze and the organizers of the event answered questions from the attending business sector representatives.

Meetings with private sector representatives regarding the DCFTA are being held across the country, with the aim to cover all regions of Georgia by the end of the 2017.