Georgia hosts the 10th Regional Dialog on Biodiversity Finance initiative of European, Asian and Pacific Ocean countries, with participation of heads of state from 17 countries and 70 biodiversity experts.

Georgian Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Solomon Pavliashvili, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Anna Chernyshova, Biodiversity Finance Head Onno van den Heuvel and Academician Giorgi Kvesitadze delivered opening speeches.

“The loss of biodiversity is a global challenge. The dialogue aims to find ways to protect and finance biodiversity, exchange viewpoints on the restoration of forests, conserving, fulfilment of the Vienna Convention and use of the state budget,” Pavliashvili said.

Biodiversity Finance Initiative BIOFIN is a network of 41 countries working together to reduce financial gaps in conserving biodiversity.

Georgia joined the BIOFIN partnership in 2016. It adopted a biodiversity finance national plan in 2019, through which the biodiversity and forestry department’s annual budget increased four times and allowed the launch of 17 innovative projects.