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Today the Joint Decision Making Committee (JDMC) of the Territorial Cooperation Programme Armenia-Georgia adopted the Joint Operational Programme.

The Joint Operational Programme (JOP) sets out the basic framework of the Armenia-Georgia territorial cooperation: the main objectives and priorities, requirements for projects and beneficiaries as well as programme implementation modalities. The budget of the programme constitutes 1.35 million EUR. The programme covers Lori, Shirak, Tavush marzes of Armenia and Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia. The approval of the joint document paves the way to the announcement of a Call for Proposals in July 2014. The Territorial Cooperation Programme Armenia-Georgia will be the first of four programmes in the Eastern Partnership countries to launch the competition for projects.

“Armenia actively supports the idea of territorial cooperation and is the first, together with Georgia, to endorse the JOP,” stressed Mr. Vache Terteryan, First Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia, Chairman of the inaugural JDMC meeting. “The Territorial Cooperation Programme Armenia-Georgia will further promote friendly relations between the peoples of the neighboring regions in such areas as agriculture, tourism development, business, environment, education, culture and sports,” stated Alexei Sekarev, the Team Leader of the EaPTC Support Programme.

The JOP is a strategic document prepared under a joint leadership of the Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, and with advice and expertise of the Eastern Partnership Territorial Cooperation Support Programme.

The JDMC plays a key role in the programme implementation and brings together decision makers from Armenia and Georgia around one table: representatives of the central government institutions, regional and local authorities, and civil society organisations from both countries. The Committee is co-led on a rotating basis by Mr. Vache Terteryan, First Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia and Mr. Tengiz Shergelashvili, First Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia.