2017-06-19
37 villages will be added to the list of high-mountainous settlements, and additionally 7,000 residents will enjoy social benefits starting next year. The initiative to recognize the 37 villages as high-mountainous settlements was approved at today's meeting of the National Council for Mountain Development.
The meeting, chaired by Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, discussed different issues on its agenda, emphasizing that 1,678 of Georgia's 3,700 settlements, which make up 45% of the country's territory, are recognized as high-mountainous areas.
The council discussed and approved 28 mediations for recognizing high-mountainous areas meeting the council's criteria. The participants of the meeting also supported mediations to recognize nine villages in the Machakhela Gorge, Khelvachauri Municipality.
According to the Law of Georgia on the Development of High-Mountainous Regions, settlements must be located at 1,500+ meters above sea level to qualify as high-mountainous settlements. The same status is also granted to areas incorporated into Georgia's historical and geographic regions regardless of their hypsometric characteristics.
The decisions made at today's meeting of the National Council for Mountain Development will be referred for approval to the Government at its meeting.
Prime Minister's Press Office