MPs Cautious over Proposal to Sell Farm Land Near Border

The Parliament discussed a draft law on May 17 on the privatization of state-owned agricultural land whose approval will most likely that be postponed by the lawmakers until delimitation of the borders with neighboring Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia is established.

State Minister for Economic Reforms Kakha Bendukidze presented a draft law on the privatization of farm lands, at the parliamentary session on May 17, which envisages the lifting of the ban on privatizing those lands which are located within a 5-km area from the state border. The current law on privatization bans the sell of these lands to private owners.

Some lawmakers, including Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze supported the postponement of discussion of this issue.

?The fact that Georgia has not completed the border delimitation process with all its neighboring countries [Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia], except Turkey, raises questions [in respect to the privatizing of these border lands],? Nino Burjanadze said.

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