MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili met with the delegation of the US Department of the Interior. Medea Janiashvili, the Deputy Head of the National Department of Tourism, Levan Mebonia, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Enguri HPP, Nikoloz Antidze, the Director of the Enguri Attractions LLC, representatives of the US Embassy and the USAID mission in Georgia also participated in the meeting.

Prospects of further cooperation of the Ministry with the US Department of the Interior were the main subject of the conversation. Special attention was paid to the technical assistance of the US Department of the Interior for the development of recreational use of the Enguri HPP.

It was noted that the Enguri Arch Dam, which is at the same time a monument of industrial heritage in Georgia, in parallel with its primary and strategic meaning, is increasingly becoming a centre of tourist attraction for the general public. However, at the same time, in the background of ensuring the safety of the arched dam of the station, visitors’ safety is a necessary condition for the further development of the Enguri HPP tourist route, which requires the development of a complex management system.

The great experience of the USA in this direction was emphasized at the meeting - the Hoover Dam in the USA, which is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation under the US Department of the Interior, was named as a successful example.

It was noted that within the framework of the international technical assistance program of the US Department of the Interior, the implementation of activities promoting the development of the industrial heritage tourist location of the Enguri Dam is already begun. In particular, based on the best practices of the Hoover Dam, the main direction of the assistance is the development and implementation of a security and visitors’ protection system for the strategic facility of the Enguri Dam.

Within the framework of the visit to Georgia, the delegation of the US Department of the Interior will hold meetings with the public agencies of Georgia, and have a field trip will be carried out to study the tourist route of the Enguri Dam in detail. As a result, recommendations will be prepared, which will contribute to the establishment of further conditions for ensuring the safety of visitors and the security of the strategic facility.