DCFTA Roundtable Discussion in Svaneti

On 30 September 2017, within the framework of the Private Public Dialogue on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), a regional roundtable workshop was held in Svaneti, Mestia Municipality on implementation of the commitments related to the DCFTA. The roundtable was organized by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and supported by the EU-funded project Facility for the Implementation of Association Agreement. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Office of the State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro–Atlantic Integration and Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in the roundtable, as well as up to 30 local entrepreneurs from various sectors (livestock, beekeeping, hotel service, lumber industry, etc.).

Mr. Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development shared information about the implemented and planned reforms under the DCFTA with the participants. He noted the importance of the Private Public Dialogue in the process of reform and spoke about state grant programmes and facilities that will assist entrepreneurs in participating in and securing more benefits from the DCFTA.

The discussion covered the challenges and perspectives of the DCFTA, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements and other topics related to the agreement. The challenges hindering the development of local production capacity as well as emerging employment opportunities were also discussed during the meeting.

During the final session of the roundtable, Mr. Genadi Arveladze and the organizers answered questions from the attending business 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.