Agriculture Minister and Caucasus Nature Fund Executive Director renew memorandum to advance protected area development

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Davit Songulashvili, and the Executive Director of the Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF), David Morrison, signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Georgia’s network of protected areas, the ministry has announced.

Minister Songulashvili thanked the Caucasus Nature Fund for its long-standing support and effective partnership.

He emphasised that renewing the agreement marks another vital step toward reinforcing international cooperation to advance nature conservation and protected territories across Georgia.

“This renewed collaboration will make a significant contribution to the further development and strengthening of Georgia’s protected areas. Our objective is to facilitate the establishment of new protected territories, upgrade existing infrastructure, and implement initiatives that couple environmental conservation with expanded economic opportunities for local communities. I am confident that our renewed partnership with the Caucasus Nature Fund will help us achieve tangible results in this direction,” stated Davit Songulashvili.

Expressing his optimism for future projects, CNF Executive Director David Morrison noted: “It is clear that the country has made remarkable progress over the past decade. I am delighted that we remain part of this journey. An exceptionally exciting year lies ahead for the development of protected areas.”

Under the terms of the updated memorandum, the Caucasus Nature Fund will support the development of a new protected area in Kakheti—the Tsiv-Gombori protected area. With backing from the international donor the Wyss Foundation, the CNF will continue expanding conservation efforts across the region.

Under the MoU, total grant funding allocated by the Wyss Foundation to the CNF stands at nearly USD 7.25 million. Combined with co-financing from the CNF and additional donors, the total project value reaches approximately USD 11 million over five years.

The agreement places a particular emphasis on the effective management of protected areas, institutional capacity building for park personnel, the enhancement of biodiversity monitoring systems, and the deepening of community-level partnerships. Cooperation between Georgia and the Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF) began in 2008, with CNF support contributing to the development of 15 protected areas to date.

First Deputy Minister Nino Tandilashvili and senior leadership from relevant ministerial departments and agencies attended the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.