Protected Areas’ Friends’ Association Forum had been held at Hotel Courtyard Marriot, where Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia Ekaterine Grigalava and Chairman of the Agency of Protected Areas Lasha Moistsrapishvili addressed to participants.

During the meeting were discussed ongoing activities at protected areas, implemented projects and future plans. Friends Association is non-governmental organization, which aims participation in the process of protected areas’ preservation, local communities’ involvement in the process of protected areas’ management, grants bringing, and cognitive-educational activities implementation. Three Friends’ Association had been created: Tusheti, Vashlovani and Lagodekhi in the frame of IUCN POSC’s project. For nowadays there are nine Friends Associations, by them approximately 1.5 million Gel invest had been brought.

The above forum was held first time in this manner, which aimed experience sharing between associations, future activities’ planning and cooperation strengthen. The meeting had been held by the support of SSPA’s program that was attended by the representatives of the Agency of Protected Areas, Friends’ Association, non-governmental and international donor organizations.