The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Otar Shamugia, paid a working visit to the United Arab Emirates. Within the framework of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28), he met with the Minister for the Environment of the Czech Republic, Petr Hladík in Dubai.

During the meeting with his Czech colleague, Shamugia stated that Georgia and the Czech Republic have a long history of friendship and effective collaboration.

“For many years, we have successfully cooperated with the Czech side, the Czech Development Agency in conducting research and developing caves in protected areas. Moreover, holding a conference and discussing critical issues within the framework of the UN COP 28 will contribute to an even more dynamic development of cooperation. Georgia is waiting for the most significant decision. In just a few days, the European Council should decide on the candidate"s status. Georgia has taken appropriate steps to fulfill the conditions- important for receiving candidate status. We had tangible progress, which was reflected in the analytical report of the European Commission published last year. EU has properly evaluated our progress”, - he said.

Otar Shamugia also met with Mrs. Steffi Lemke, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection.

During the meeting, he spoke extensively about the implemented and planned environmental projects in Georgia and thanked the Minister for supporting several important programs: “Important environmental efforts have been made this year, including the adoption of a law on Water Resources and Industrial Emissions Trading, and soon we will also discuss the law on Biodiversity Protection”.

The parties emphasized the importance of expanding protected areas, elaborating a proper management plan, developing ecotourism, and setting up modern infrastructure, which qualitatively contributes to preserving biodiversity and attracting visitors. Steffi Lemke confirmed her support on the path to European integration and in implementing existing and planned initiatives.

The UN COP 28 is a multilateral decision-making platform on climate change issues, embracing almost all countries worldwide. More than 100,000 delegates participated in the ongoing conference in Dubai. The Conference hosted various events, including the Leaders’ Summit, Ministerial meetings, bilateral meetings, and negotiations.