DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement with the EU) Information Resource table has opened in Tetritskaro, at RDFG office. Subsequently, Tetritskaro Local Action Group (LAG) members will inform local community about DCFTA; How to bring their production in line with the EU standards in order to supply local markets with safe products and to get an opportunity of access to the EU markets and increase income. The meeting was attended by the representatives of Tetritskaro municipality and “People in Need” (PIN), together with the members of Tetritskaro LAG.

The event was organized within the framework of PIN project “Regional Civil Society Organisations Supporting Free Trade with European Union”, Supported by the EU. The project aims to strengthen region-based CSOs along the DCFTA. At the beginning of the meeting, Nino Tikurishvili, the executive director of Tetritskaro LAG and Sophio Goduadze, the representative of PIN signed the memorandum, according to which, abovementioned goal in Tetritskaro Municipality will be implemented with the support of Tetritskaro Local Action Group.

According to Nino Tikurishvili, before the memorandum was signed, two members of Tetritskaro LAG, Giorgi Gaiozashvili and Liana Demetrashvili, were trained together with the project participants.

“Within the framework of the project, LAG representatives participated in the trainings and learned how to inform local population about DCFTA. As a result, resource table was opened in RDFG Tetritskaro office, that will help local entrepreneurs to get the necessary information and advice on the ways and methods of product realization not only in Georgia, but outside the county as well. In my opinion, this will be a big motivation for local entrepreneurs, as they can produce ecologically clean products, that are so desired in European food market” – Said Nino Tikurishvili.

DCFTA information resource table in Tetritskaro is open, so that interested people can visit RDFG Tetritskaro office (Bogovi-Jorjishvili highway) every Tuesday from 12:00 to 15:00 and get answers to their questions. The information can also be received by the e-mail – tetritskarolag@gmail.com

RDFG implements “Rural Development for Sustainable Growth of Tetritskaro Municipality” in the framework of the second phase of ENPARD that is based on LEADER model – a European approach to rural development. Fundamentally, it is the energy and resources of the local people that contribute to the rural development process by forming partnerships at a sub-regional level between the public, private and civil sectors. The LEADER approach is associated with local empowerment through local strategy development and resource allocation. The main tool for the application of the LEADER approach to area development and involving local representatives in decision-making is Local Action Group (LAG).

RDFG carries out the project in partnership with Agro-Technology Association (ATA), Lithuanian Local Action Groups Network and the Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania.