French Development Agency and Armenian finance ministry sign €10-million grant agreement to develop management of water resources
28.04.2020,
11:19
Atom Janjughazyan, Armenian Finance Minister, and Gaëlle Assayag, Head of the Office for the South Caucasus of the French Development Agency, signed a €10-million EU grant agreement on April 23 to implement the program “Development of Irrigated Agriculture in Ararat and Armavir Regions”, which will be aimed at developing a modern irrigation system in Armenia, the press service of the French Development Agency reported on Monday.
YEREVAN, April 28. /ARKA/. Atom Janjughazyan, Armenian Finance Minister, and Gaëlle Assayag, Head of the Office for the South Caucasus of the French Development Agency, signed a €10-million EU grant agreement on April 23 to implement the program “Development of Irrigated Agriculture in Ararat and Armavir Regions”, which will be aimed at developing a modern irrigation system in Armenia, the press service of the French Development Agency reported on Monday.
Given the situation with the coronavirus, the signing of the document took place in a remote mode through the exchange of signatures of the parties.
The aim of the four-year program, which provides financial assistance for the development of a modern irrigation system, is to address water issues, the state of irrigation infrastructures, land consolidation, the provision of consulting services, and the availability of credit funds.
The program’s targets are the Ararat and Armavir regions with a population of about 500,000 people, which, having 65% of the irrigated land and have the potential for significant impact on the modernization of agricultural products in Armenia.
The EU investments complement the loan program of €75 million provided in 2015 by the French Development Agency for the construction of the Vedi water reservoir in the Ararat region. The joint efforts of France and the European Union, aimed at promoting agriculture in Armenia, have received significant grant investments as part of the EU Neighborhood investment program.
The European Union’s € 10-million grant consists of a technical assistance component amounting to € 4.4 million and an investment grant component of € 5.6 million.
With EU assistance, it is planned to provide farmers with additional income; develop pilot land consolidation programs; stimulate dialogue and cooperation between farmers, water user associations and cooperatives; ensure political dialogue between the ministry of territorial administration and infrastructures, the Water Committee and all players involved in water sector reforms. -0-
Given the situation with the coronavirus, the signing of the document took place in a remote mode through the exchange of signatures of the parties.
The aim of the four-year program, which provides financial assistance for the development of a modern irrigation system, is to address water issues, the state of irrigation infrastructures, land consolidation, the provision of consulting services, and the availability of credit funds.
The program’s targets are the Ararat and Armavir regions with a population of about 500,000 people, which, having 65% of the irrigated land and have the potential for significant impact on the modernization of agricultural products in Armenia.
The EU investments complement the loan program of €75 million provided in 2015 by the French Development Agency for the construction of the Vedi water reservoir in the Ararat region. The joint efforts of France and the European Union, aimed at promoting agriculture in Armenia, have received significant grant investments as part of the EU Neighborhood investment program.
The European Union’s € 10-million grant consists of a technical assistance component amounting to € 4.4 million and an investment grant component of € 5.6 million.
With EU assistance, it is planned to provide farmers with additional income; develop pilot land consolidation programs; stimulate dialogue and cooperation between farmers, water user associations and cooperatives; ensure political dialogue between the ministry of territorial administration and infrastructures, the Water Committee and all players involved in water sector reforms. -0-
