Prime Minister of Georgia Georgi Gakharia says protected areas will be expanded by 100,000 square meters in 2020, as reported Novosti Gruzia.

The Georgian government has decided to create the Erusheti National Park (Samtskhe-Javakheti) on the border with Armenia. According to Gakharia, this will be important for cross-border cooperation.

“In 2019, the total amount of protected areas grew by 10% and made up 9.6% of the country’s territory. However, this isn’t the maximum indicator. In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection intends to expand protected areas by 100,000 square meters in 2020. Today we have adopted a decision on the creation of the Erusheti National Park in the border zone. This will be extremely important in terms of cross-border cooperation and preservation of species in the Red Book.

Based on the government program that the Georgian government announced last year, the new sector of the reserve is located within the administrative boundaries of Ninotsminda and encompasses nearby territories such as Abuli, as well as Saghamo and Paravan Lakes.