On 27 March, EU-funded regional projects organised an informal gathering with leading media outlets in Georgia. The main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the tangible results and opportunities that the EU delivers to the citizens of Georgia through its regional programmes and to strengthen cooperation with journalists.
The event was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership and Georgia was the first country to host such a media event.
At the event, the EU Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) Black Sea Programme presented the newly introduced, innovative waste management practices in the Georgian city of Kutaisi. This environmental programme brings together the efforts of Georgian, Moldovan and Armenian local authorities, NGOs, scientists and activists, with the aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste in rivers.
The Eastern Partnership Territorial Cooperation project (EaP TC) presented its initiatives on cultural and economic cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan and Georgia and Armenia.
In addition, the EU-funded programme Mayors for Economic Growth showcased the best practices of two Georgian municipalities, Gori and Bolnisi, on how to use EU funds to support agribusiness and tourism development in the regions.
The EU framework programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, also presented its activities in Georgia, including the CURE project, aimed at finding solutions for asthmatic diseases. Beneficiaries of the Erasmus+ programme, which offers opportunities to Georgian youth to study in the EU, shared their experiences.
The event was attended by several ‘Young European Ambassadors’ (YEAs) from Georgia. They presented the initiative and explained how YEAs foster cooperation and sustainable links between young people in Georgia and youth organisations from the EU and its Eastern partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.