On 28-29 June 2023, an Agriculture Sector Consultative Group Workshop was organized within the framework of the newly launched “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” project of RECONOMY. The project focuses on enhancing the digital transformation of the Tourism, Agriculture, and Manufacturing sectors in the Eastern Partnership countries.

The Consultative Group Workshop was aimed at identifying common sectoral problems and digital transformation opportunities in EaP countries, as well as at mapping main stakeholders to be engaged in the project interventions. Representatives of key sectoral institutions from Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova were invited to participate in the workshop.

RECONOMY is a regional inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation in partnership with Strategic Development Agency NGO and others in the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkan regions.

On June 17, the “Mimino” Armenian-Georgian cultural-culinary festival was held in Dilijan, which was organized by the “Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions”  NGO together with the “Armenian Tourism Federation” with the financial support of the Tourism Committee of the RA Ministry of Economy.

The main goal of the festival was to promote the cooperation between tour operators of the two countries, to activate and promote tourist visits between the two neighbouring countries, to strengthen cultural dialogue and friendship between peoples, as well as to promote the development of gastro-tourism.

Beneficiaries of the “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) also attended the festival: “Berkri” gastro yard showcasing the Tavush cuisine and wines, “Haghartsin Kum-Kum” teas, presenting concentrated phytoteas, “Turm” herbal teas, presenting natural tea herbs collected from the Lori mountains, “Arevi” hotel, introducing its adventure and eco tours, as well as the hotel being built with the support of the Project in the Gosh settlement.

The project provided the beneficiaries with the opportunity to make their products and services visible and recognizable to thousands of tourists, Armenian and Georgian tour operators, to expand their business contacts, and to meet new people who will help them grow their businesses.

Participation of project beneficiaries in such regional initiatives is congruent with the project’s long-term goals of ensuring rural population living conditions through conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, adaptation, and mitigation of climate change.

The incomes of the rural population will be diversified by reducing the heavy dependence on agriculture and animal husbandry, so that the farms can also generate income from tourism, hospitality and related tourism supply chains.

The project “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” is implemented by the Armenian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Armenia) in cooperation with the   “Strategic Development Agency” NGO (SDA), and is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).