BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND OTHER COUNTRIES
IN AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL SECTOR
 
COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (C.I.S.)
1. AZERBAIJAN
As a follow up of the Bilateral Agreement for economic, industrial and technological co-operation between Greece and Azerbaijan, the 1st Joint Ministerial Committee took place in Baku (10 - 11.04.2003). Heads of the two delegations were the Greek Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Azerian Minister for Economic Development.
A highlighted point In the Protocol was the common interest in developing a bilateral co-operation in agricultural sub-sectors, such as plant production and animal husbandry, agricultural research and training, phytosanitary and sanitary protection, land melioration, irrigation projects and water management.
Within this spirit, the Greek side sent a delegation of four (4) experts over to Baku (1-7.12.2003), to meet and form team groups with experts from the Azerian Ministry of Agriculture, in order to deal with issues covered in the Protocol.
2. ARMENIA
The relations between Greece and Armenia, in agriculture, are regulated by the Co-operation Agreement signed in Yerevan (20.3.1997). The implementation phase began with 3 Memoranda, each of a biannual duration.
During the biennium 1997-98, the Greek side took on the following actions:

·        Planning and funding a training seminar for 20 experts from the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, on issues concerning post harvest activities, standardization and marketing of agricultural products.

·        Shipment to Armenia of 1.000 tones of fertilizer (nitrate ammonia) 

·        Organising a visit of 4 experts from the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture to the Greek National Institution of Agricultural Research, with a view to a close co-operation on reforming the agricultural research in Armenia.
During the years 1999-2000, the Greek side implemented the following:

·        Planning and funding a training seminar for 20 experts from the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture on post harvest activities and marketing of the horticultural products;

·        Five (5) scholarships to graduates from the Armenian Agricultural University;

·        Shipment to Armenia of 5.000 tones of durum wheat in the framework of food aid (2nd semester of 1999);

·        Shipment to Armenia of 1.000 tonnes of fertiliser (nitrate ammonia).
During 2001 and 2002, only one action was implemented, that of granting 10 scholarships to graduates from the Armenian Agricultural Academy.
Finally, in December of 2003, the Greek side implemented one training seminar for 15 experts from the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, on issues of processing, standardization and marketing of agricultural products.
3. GEORGIA
After the split of the USSR, Greece recognized Georgia as an autonomous state in March 1992 and in the effort of creating an institutional framework for the development of their bilateral relations, the Governments of the two countries signed an Agreement of co-operation in agriculture (Tbilisi, April of 1997).
This Agreement covers actions in sectors such as agriculture, food industry, plant production, phytosanitary protection, animal husbandry, beekeeping, aviculture, processing methods, genetic and biological material of plant or animal origin, exchange of information for irrigation systems.
Thus, in 1999, the Greek side implemented a training seminar for 25 experts of the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture on issues of modern technology in agricultural production and processing. Furthermore, one expert from the Greek Ministry of Agriculture (Directorate of Animal Husbandry) went to Tbilisi and offered technical guidance in the sector of dairy products.
The 1st Meeting of the united Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Technological Co-operation between Greece and Georgia took place in Athens (January of 2000) where a relevant Protocol was signed.
Following this Protocol, the Greek Ministry of Agriculture implemented in November of 2003, a training seminar for 15 Georgian experts on issues of agri-management and marketing research.
4. RUSSIA
The Greek-Russian co-operation in the field of agriculture is regulated by the “Agreement for economic, scientific and technical co-operation in agriculture and food”, signed in Athens (28.7.1999)
In the framework of the above mentioned agreement, technical assistance has been provided to the Russian Federation in the field of capacity building through the implementation of seminars, such as:

In 2000, the Greek Ministry of Agriculture implemented two seminars in the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, concerning:

  • "Agri-business marketing and management and processing methods", attended by 13 experts of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture (21.9 - 21.10).
  • "Agricultural Policy and co-funding", attended by 19 experts of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture (30.5 - 13.6).

During the academic year 1999-2000, one expert attended a post graduate course in the Division of Economics and Management of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania.

5. UKRAINE
The relations between Greece and Ukraine are regulated by the Agreement for bilateral co-operation in agriculture, signed in Kiev in 1997.
In 2000, the Greek Ministry of Agriculture provided a Ukrainian student with a postgraduate scholarship in the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania. The Greek side has also implemented two training seminars in the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania:

-         «Perspective of the food market development and its function according to the requests of  World Trade Organisation», in 1998, attended by 25 Ukrainian experts from the  Ministry of Agriculture

-         «Ecological problems in the agriculture», in 1999, attended by 25 Ukrainian experts of the Ministry of agriculture.
 
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