The Kick-off Meeting of the project entitled “GreenS4BlackSea – Protection of Virgin Forests as a Green Solution for the Black Sea,” supported under the European Union NEXT Black Sea Basin Cross-Border Cooperation Programme (Interreg VI-B), was held on 22 April 2026 at the Ali Nihat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden of Artvin Çoruh University, under the coordination of Artvin Çoruh University as the Lead Partner, with broad participation in three sessions. The meeting was attended by project partners, namely the NGO Community and Environment  (3 participants), Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (6 participants), and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (4 participants), as well as experts involved in the project team.

The Kick-off Meeting, held with the participation of project stakeholders, was attended by Artvin Mayor Bilgehan Erdem, Rector of Artvin Çoruh University Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aydın, President of the Artvin Bar Association Attorney Handan Demiral Almalı, Mayor of Şavşat Durmuş Aydın, Artvin Regional Director of Forestry İbrahim Ethem Gürsoy, Artvin Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Neşat Ulutaş, Deputy Regional Director of Forestry Tekin Işık, Artvin Director of Nature Conservation and National Parks Sedat Kara, Artvin Forest Enterprise Director Tuncay Bilmiş, as well as representatives from the Artvin Directorate of Culture and Tourism, State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), Artvin Survey and Project Directorate, the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services, the Green Artvin Association, TEMA, Artkim Ltd. Co., participants from other universities, and staff and students of Artvin Çoruh University, with a total of 71 participants in attendance.

Rector of Artvin Çoruh University, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aydın, in his opening speech at the programme, emphasized the University’s leadership role in regional development and nature conservation and stated, “We Are Extending Our Academic Expertise Beyond Borders.”

Continuing his remarks, Rector Prof. Dr. Aydın stated: “As Artvin Çoruh University, this international project, for which we serve as the Lead Partner, represents the most concrete example of how our academic expertise can be transformed into added value not only at the local level but also on a global scale. Together with our esteemed partners from Georgia and Greece, we will safeguard the virgin forests of the Black Sea with a scientific shield and strengthen our region’s vision for tourism and nature. This initiative marks another step in the continued prominence of our ‘Pole Star’ mission in the international arena.” Emphasizing that the scientific community is aware of this reality, Aydın highlighted the necessity of disseminating projects aimed at the conservation of virgin forests on a global scale.

The opening speech of the meeting was delivered by the Project Coordinator and Director of the ANG Botanical Garden, Prof. Dr. Özgür Eminağaoğlu, who expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of a European Union–funded project at the Botanical Garden and with hosting such an important meeting, and thanked all participants for their attendance and support. In his speech, in which he shared the technical details and strategic objectives of the project, Eminağaoğlu emphasized the importance of the strong partnership established among universities and stakeholders in neighboring countries, stating: “With this project, we are not only identifying the virgin forests in Artvin Province; we are also building a ‘Green Belt’ around the Black Sea that will enhance biodiversity. Through our cooperation mechanisms, we will ensure that our natural heritage is transmitted to future generations in a healthier and more sustainable manner.”

Presentations in the first session included: Introduction of the Project: Protection of Virgin Forests as a Green Solution for the Black Sea (Prof. Dr. Özgür Eminağaoğlu); Identification and Conservation of Forests: The Georgian Experience (Dr. Ketevan Samadashvili); Management and Conservation of Virgin Forests: The European Union Approach (Prof. Dr. Ioannis Gitas & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nanos Nikolaos); and The Importance of Developing Guidelines and Curricula for Universities (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Inga Diasamidze). Following the presentations, the participants contributed to the meeting with their questions and suggestions.

Within the scope of the programme, due to 22 April being Earth Day, a planting activity was carried out at the ANG Botanical Garden with the participation of all guests, involving olive trees removed from areas submerged by the Yusufeli Dam and saplings of various plant species provided by the Artvin Regional Directorate of Forestry.

In the second session, organized in the form of a regional meeting, presentations were delivered on the following topics: Biodiversity Research of Virgin Forests: The Georgian Experience (Dr. Davit Kharazishvili); Forest Management, Legislation and Conservation in Türkiye (Nedim Tuylu); and An Overview of Forest Biodiversity in Artvin Province (Prof. Dr. Özgür Eminağaoğlu & Assist. Prof. Dr. Hayal Akyıldırım Beğen).

In the third session, entitled Evaluation and Closing Remarks, moderated by Prof. Dr. Ioannis Gitas, Dr. Ketevan Samadashvili, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Can Vatandaşlar, general evaluations of the presentations were conducted and participants shared their views and suggestions. In addition, an awareness survey prepared within the scope of the project, aiming to contribute to the assessment of public knowledge and awareness regarding virgin forests, was shared with the participants. The meeting concluded with the closing remarks.