The Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia and the National Food Agency of Georgia organized the World Veterinary Day, dedicated to the global importance of the veterinary profession and the role of the "One Health" approach in ensuring public health.
The international conference was held at the PARAGRAPH FREEDOM SQUARE, LUXURY COLLECTION Hotel, which was opened by the Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, David Songhulashvili, the Secretary General of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Emmanuel Subeirani, the Minister of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia, Mikheil Sarjveladze, and the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Gela Samkharauli.
David Songhulashvili congratulated the veterinarians on their professional day and thanked them for their work in the field. In his speech, the Minister emphasized the importance of the veterinary field in the development of the country's agricultural sector and the protection of public health.
“The support of the World Organization for Animal Health once again indicates the importance of the event and demonstrates the progress of our country in this field. It is especially important that this platform creates an opportunity for professional discussion and debate on international and regional challenges. This contributes to the further development and advancement of the field, which is of particular importance for our country,” noted David Songhulashvili.
WOAH Secretary General Emmanuel Subeirani focused on the progress achieved by Georgia in the field of veterinary medicine and the role of the country in the region.
A panel discussion was held, in which the participants discussed global and regional challenges in the field of veterinary medicine. The focus was on animal health measures, prevention of transboundary diseases, strengthening laboratory capabilities and the implementation of the “One Health” principles. Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, Chief State Veterinarian of the country and WOAH delegate Lasha Avaliani introduced the participants to Georgia’s political vision for the development of veterinary medicine. “The aim of this event is to both popularize the field and recognize veterinarians who are involved in state programs and the private sector. This year’s event is particularly important with its high representation. The visit of the Director-General of the World Organization for Animal Health to Georgia and the expressed support from the countries of the region make the event more meaningful and effective,” said Lasha Avaliani.
Within the framework of the international conference dedicated to World Veterinary Day, Minister of Environment and Agriculture David Songhulashvili and Secretary General of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Emmanuel Subeiran awarded veterinarians and successful students for their professional achievements.
The Minister thanked the veterinarians for their work, and wished the students a successful professional path and their contribution to the development of the field.
Representatives of about 20 countries and WOAH delegates participated in the conference held in Tbilisi, where global and regional challenges in the veterinary field were discussed. The event also developed the “Tbilisi Communiqué”, which provides for the official recognition of World Veterinary Day and the establishment of a specific date for its celebration.
The event was attended by the following from the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences: Deputy President of the Academy, Academician Anatoly Giorgadze, Head of the Academic Department of the Academy, Academician Marina Barvenashvili, Academician Secretary of the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Sciences of the Academy, Academician Tengiz Kurashvili, Academician Iveri Akhalbedashvili, Corresponding Member of the Academy David Goderdzishvili, Corresponding Member of the Academy Ekaterine Zviadadze.
International Day of the Veterinarian
On April 30 of this year, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences of the Academy organized a conference dedicated to the International Day of the Veterinarian on the topic: “Scientific Achievements in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry: From Theory to Practice”.
The conference was solemnly opened and the audience was welcomed by Academician Tengiz Kurashvili, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences of the Academy. His speech highlighted the importance of the event from both a scientific and practical point of view. Mr. Tengiz congratulated the audience on the mentioned date and drew attention to the current veterinary-sanitary situation in the country, the existing challenges and ways to solve them. He emphasized the need for disease prevention, compliance with biosecurity standards and the introduction of modern veterinary practice. In addition, he noted that achieving progress largely depends on raising the awareness of farmers, private entrepreneurs and people engaged in animal husbandry, since it is they who determine the quality of livestock products and, consequently, the food security of the population.
At the end of his speech, the speaker also touched upon the issues of veterinary education. He reviewed the existing problems, including the shortage of qualified personnel and the need for training focused on practical skills, and presented recommendations for their elimination. Special attention was paid to the modernization of the education system, sharing international experience and continuous professional development of specialists in the field.
In the same context, in the reports presented within the framework of the conference, topical issues of the field were discussed in more detail and in depth. One of these reports – “The Importance of Preventive Measures in the Control of Rabies” – was presented to the audience by Lena Ninidze, a senior specialist of the Animal Disease Management Division of the Animal Health Department of the National Food Agency, and a Master of Veterinary Medicine. The speaker considered rabies as a particularly dangerous zoonotic infection and presented its epidemiological and clinical features.
The report also emphasized that rabies is an endemic disease for Georgia. As a result of preventive and elimination measures implemented since 2013, the incidence of the disease has significantly decreased, although it is still recorded in both carnivorous and agricultural animals. Special attention was paid to the importance of preventive measures, the systematic and continuous implementation of which is the main basis for the control and eventual elimination of rabies, which ensures effective protection of both animal and human health. 
The conference was addressed by Nona Paghava, a senior specialist of the third category of the Veterinary Control Planning Division of the Veterinary Control Department of the National Food Agency, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
The speaker drew attention to the fact that effective animal health control, especially in the context of preventing and limiting the spread of infectious diseases, requires systematic laboratory monitoring of food and raw materials. This process is not limited to determining the quality indicators of the product, but also involves a full assessment of its safety. Of particular importance is milk and dairy products, which are widely used in the human diet. In addition, they can be a significant source of infection transmission, as they often contain pathogenic microorganisms that can cause serious harm to human health. Therefore, it is necessary for laboratories to be equipped with modern equipment and appropriate instrumentation, which ensures timely detection and identification of pathogens.
Environmental factors play an important role in protecting both animal health and public health. Soil is often considered one of the main sources of water pollution, and livestock farming, along with other risk factors, is a significant source of environmental, especially soil, pollution. Clean water, soil and air have a significant impact on all stages of an animal’s life — growth, development and productivity. Accordingly, the above-mentioned environmental objects require constant and systematic control, including laboratory monitoring, which is one of the necessary prerequisites for protecting animal health and producing safe food products.
Professor Koba Mikadze of the European University made a presentation to the audience on the topic “The Relationship of Behavioral Characteristics and Their Monitoring to the Welfare and Productivity of Agricultural Animals”.
The speaker drew attention to the fact that increasing the productivity of agricultural animals is closely related to ensuring their well-being, which in turn requires optimizing care and feeding, strict adherence to veterinary safety, as well as the use of animals with high genetic potential.
Animal behavior is an important indicator of response to changes in environmental conditions. Ethology studies these behavioral reactions and their connection with the physiological state. Ethological monitoring allows assessing animal well-being, timely detecting stressful and pathological changes, and improving management conditions.
The use of modern technologies (computerized and sensor systems) increases the effectiveness of monitoring and creates the basis for the development of precision animal husbandry. Studies show that improving well-being directly affects health, reduces stress, and increases productivity and product quality.
The conference was attended by: Head of the Academic Department, Academician Marine Barvenashvili, Academician Jemal Gugushvili, Corresponding Member David Goderdzishvili, as well as specialists from the LEPL Agricultural Scientific Research Center and employees of the Academy's staff.
On May 8 of this year, a conference was held at the National Youth Palace to discuss the progress and future plans of the program “Scientific Research on Georgian Vine and Wine Culture”. Within the framework of this program, in 2017, the international scientific community recognized Georgia as the homeland of wine. The conference also discussed the current state of the global wine sector, existing challenges, and market specifics.
On April 16, 2026, the presentation of the book “Giorgi Kvesitadze Bioorganic Technologies” by Academician of Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences Tinatin Sadunishvili was held at Grigol Robakidze University.
On April 15 of this year, a session of the Agrarian Innovations Commission under the Presidium of the Academy was held, at which the report on the topic: "Georgian System of Dairy Farm Management" was delivered by the Head of the Breeding Working Group of the Department of Livestock and Food Production of the LEPL Scientific-Research Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Giuli Gogol.