ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
8 April 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
New Agriculture Minister of Georgia Praises ICARDA, Pledges Support
H.E. Mr David Shervashidze, the new Minister of Agriculture of Georgia, acknowledged ICARDA as one of Georgia's main partners. He said he was particularly pleased with the Center's involvement in seed production, genetic resource conservation, and human resource development..
H.E. Mr David Shervashidze (right), Minister of Agriculture, Georgia, commended ICARDA's collaborative research activities in his country in his discussions with Dr Raj Paroda, Regional Coordinator of ICARDA for CAC.
    Mr Shervashidze made these comments on 4 March 2004 when the ICARDA-CAC Regional Coordinator, Dr Raj Paroda, met him to congratulate him on his appointment and to convey the greetings of Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General, ICARDA.
     Mr Shervashidze appreciated the effective collaboration between NARS of Georgia and ICARDA and pledged his support to strengthen research collaboration with international organizations. He endorsed the Issyk-Kul Declaration on Agricultural Development and was particularly keen to have more support from other CG Centers as well.
     Mr Shervashidze and Dr Paroda discussed various opportunities for future cooperation, including those in feed and livestock management and mountain agriculture. Mr Shervashidze will be visiting ICARDA in April to participate in the Presentation Day.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment
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