ArmInfo. Acting Armenian Minister of Agriculture Gegham Gevorgyan received yesterday Ambassador of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacote, Head of the South Caucasus Office of the French Development Agency Assayag Gaelle , as well as Head of the Village and Agriculture Development Program Alexia Hoffman.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Gevorgyan presented to the guests in detail new approaches and visions for the development of the agricultural field, the targeted directions of the agricultural policy of the government of Armenia. In particular, the Acting Minister stressed the importance of organizing the production of high-grade crops, the establishment of intensive gardens, the introduction of new irrigation systems and anti-hail plants, the numbering of animals and the expansion of sales markets for Armenian winemakers.
Gegham Gevorgyan also touched upon the grant program "Irrigated Agriculture in the Ararat and Armavir Regions of Armenia", which will soon be launched. The Acting Minister proposed to complete the preparatory work, and, if possible, to start practical actions in a short time. Gevorgyan also urged his interlocutors to explore the prospects for establishing agricultural colleges using the French experience in this field. Ambassador Lacote, in turn, noted that the implementation of joint educational programs may be of interest to French specialists. The interlocutors discussed the prospects of joint development of control mechanisms in the field of viticulture and winemaking. To recall, the French Development Agency provided Armenia with a grant of 10 million euros for the implementation of agricultural programs in the Ararat and Armavir regions. Funds will be directed to the introduction of drip irrigation systems and anti-hail plants, establishment of intensive gardens, processing of fruit crops and land consolidation. The program envisages the enlargement of a number of communities in the Ararat region, located next to the Vedi reservoir under construction, where it is planned to introduce a drip irrigation system. Earlier, ArmInfo reported that in January 2016, a loan agreement worth EUR 75 million was signed between Armenia and the French Development Agency for the construction of the Vedi reservoir. The document was signed on the basis of the strategic program for the future development of Armenia for 2014-2025. The loan is granted for a period of 20 years with a six-year grace period.
