8th Meeting of the DCFTA Advisory Group

On December 21, 2020, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia hosted the eighth meeting of the DCFTA Advisory Group, chaired by Mr. Giorgi Kacharava, Executive Director of the EU-Georgia Business Council (EUGBC), Deputy Chairperson of the DAG, and Mr. Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.   The main topic of the meeting was the draft DCFTA Implementation Action Plan for 2021-2023 developed by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. Prior to the meeting, the draft plan was shared with the DAG members, and during the meeting, after the presentation of the plan, consultations were held on the suggestions and proposals put forward by the group members.   During the meeting, the DAG also discussed various proposals and the issues raised by the members of the group that will further facilitate the implementation of the DCFTA, promote greater involvement of the private sector in the process, and raise awareness on the DCFTA-related matters. Special emphasis was placed on the need for measures to promote Georgian companies’ participation in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The business associations expressed readiness to intensify cooperation in this direction.   The representative of the EU-Georgia Business Council informed the members of the group about the establishment of a logistics hub in Romania, in the city of Constanta, which will be launched on January 15, 2021, and will significantly facilitate Georgian companies’ export to the EU countries. Detailed information about this will be provided to the group members.   The meeting was attended by the representatives of Georgian Employers' Association, Georgian Trade Union Confederation, EU-Georgia Business Council (EUGBC), Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, European Business Association, and the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform.