Otar Shamugia: I would like to call on our citizens who are protesting today to return to their families, to wait for the decision of the National Environment Agency, which will be made no later than the end of the month

According to the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, the National Environment Agency will make a decision regarding the invalidation of the license for hunting in Racha by the end of November at the latest.

In addition, he called on the participants in the rally regarding the Racha forests to return to their families and wait for the decision of the National Environment Agency.

"I would like to touch on the issue related to the issue of hunting license in Racha and provide the public with detailed information chronologically regarding this process. In recent days, we have seen a process neaer the Ministry, which we think is absolutely groundless and there is no need for it. We will tell you step by step why we think so. First, I will start with the license procedure, it was said as if the National Environment Agency issued this license illegally. I would like to state unequivocally that the license was issued by the National Environment Agency in March 2022 through a public auction, in which a specific company won. This process was accompanied by certain studies, relevant works, and a month before the announcement of the auction, information about it was spread in the press, as well as via the Facebook page of the National Environment Agency and other means. The process was public and in accordance with the legislation that regulates this issue in this country", said Otar Shamugia.

According to him, all prerequisites for canceling the license are present.

"Very soon, in the shortest possible time, I think a decision will be made by the National Environment Agency, and I think there are all prerequisites for the license to be declared invalid. However, this is an administrative proceeding that the agency is conducting and we should allow it to complete this process. I want to tell the public that this information has been fully provided to those who are protesting near the Ministry. As I know, the protests started a month and a half ago, and we started talking about it in May, that the obligations are not being fulfilled, that we should think about creating a protected area here", said Otar Shamugia.

According to the Minister, he declares with full responsibility that "it is a lie that the forest has been sold. According to the existing legislation, it is not possible to sell forests."

"I would like to call on our citizens who are protesting today, ladies and gentlemen, to return to their families, to wait for the decision of the National Environment Agency, which is a legal process, and I promise you that this decision will be made very quickly, no later than the end of the month," said the Minister.