Various types of potatoes, carrots, cheese, Armenian sausages ‘(Sujuks’), pumpkins and other types of agricultural produce decorated with Georgian, Armenian and Ukrainian cultural identifiers were exhibited at the Rustavi Municipal Theatre during the Ethnic Diversity Festival 2009 on November 11-12. 

While farmers presented their products some of the Chairmen of rural and civil society associations participated in a round table meeting entitled ‘Prospects of Cross-border Cooperation’ in the Kvemo Kartli Governor’s Administration building. The central and regional authorities, as well as international community representatives from Georgia and Armenia, took part in this meeting.

“Such arrangements are rather important, especially after the difficulties we experienced at the border the day before the festival started. Despite the fact we did not have enough produce with us for it to be classified as items of trade, the numerous procedures we had to go through still hindered our timely provision of the exhibits,” said Vakhan Arakelian, of the Spitak Farmers’ Association.

Vardo Egoian from Tsalka claims that similar problems are met by farmers willing to export their produce to Armenia from Georgia. “We produce potatoes in big volumes but we don’t have the means to sell them,” said Tsalka Governor’s Advisor Vardo Egoyan. “If the customs procedures are simplified for exporting goods to Armenia this will be a great help, as we have goods but no market and just have to let them spoil.”

Vardo and Vakhan are among the farmers who participated in the festival. ”We have shared information on our current and planned activities, experiences and lessons learned in respective fields and discussed existing problems and ways of overcoming them. It was interesting to meet the authorities and international community representatives working on cross-border cooperation issues between Georgia and Armenia,” said Vakhan Arakelian.

The Ethnic Diversity Festival 2009 was organised as part of the Poverty Reduction and Confidence-building in Border Areas of Georgia and Armenia by Strengthening Civil Societies in Sustainable Rural Development (STAGE II) project. It lasted for two days and the second day was devoted to training target associations and local authorities on diversity management issues. “The goal of the project is to strengthen 10 targeted civil society institutions and local authorities from the stipulated border regions (Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli from the Georgian side and Lori, Shirak and Tavush from the Armenian side) and provide increased cross-border cooperation to achieve sustainable rural development,” says Ketevan Kheladze, STAGE II Project Manager.

Kheladze said that the total Budget of the STAGE II project is 463.980 Euro. It began on May 1, 2009 and will last until October 31, 2011. A number of similar festivals will be held in Georgia and Armenia during this period.

“These activities are rather important for both countries, as the the bordering regions of Georgia and Armenia have substantial potential to form a rather attractive investment zone. For this to happen, we should continue our work on the harmonisation of fields of law, transportation and tax systems and in the good governance sphere, which should create a common investment environment”, said Prof. Kote Khmaladze, Head of the Regional Economic Development Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia.

The STAGE II project is being implemented by CARE Osterreich and CARE International in the Caucasus, along with partner organisations the Civil Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and the Centre for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) in Armenia. STAGE II is financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe (ADC).