Azernews.Az

By Jamila Babayeva

The EU delegation in Azerbaijan on February 11 presented the Program of Territorial Cooperation on "Eastern partnership" supporting cross-border cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Addressing the presentation, the head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Malena Mard said the EU has a great experience in the field of cross-border cooperation.

"This cooperation is the one of the main issues. The agenda of cross-border cooperation includes economic and environmental issues," she said.

Mard believes that broader cooperation in this field will be established between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

"We believe that the tourism sector will receive a good development within the project, as both Azerbaijan and Georgia has great ambitions in this area," she noted.

Mard further said the proposals in the framework of this program will be put forward until the summer, and then grants will be allocated.

The total budget of the Program for Territorial Cooperation on "Eastern Partnership" is 12.5 million euros, of which 1.35 million euros allocated to the Azerbaijani-Georgian cross-border cooperation.

The program mainly covers Azerbaijan's Ganja-Gazakh and Sheki-Zagatala regions and Georgia's Kvemo-Kartli and Kakheti regions. Beneficiaries may be both local and regional authorities and non-governmental organizations.