USAID to provide USD 67 mln grant to Georgia
Georgia and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed on Friday an agreement on a new USD 67 million grant to support accountable governance and high-quality employment growth in Georgia, Civil.ge reported. The amount can be gradually increased up to USD 330 million within five years.
According to the source, the USAID will use the funds to develop new projects in Georgia, which currently already hosts 36 ongoing programs worth some USD 260 million. The agreement was signed by Finance Minister Lasha Khutshishvili and USAID Mission Director Peter Wiebler.
Key strategic directions of the grant include supporting conflict resolution, agriculture and private sector development, rule of law, human rights, education, environment protection, and civil society, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated in a press conference at the Government Administration.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on her part dubbed the grant an important “step forward” in the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership.
According to the source, Georgia has received over USD 1.8 billion in funding through USAID since it began operating in 1992.