International economic rehabilitation programme to be launched in zone of Georgian-Ossetian conflict
TBILISI, 5 October 2006 - A new international programme for the economic rehabilitation of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone will be launched at an OSCE-chaired steering committee meeting in Tskhinvali tomorrow.
Representatives of Georgian, South Ossetian and North Ossetian/Russian sides, the OSCE Chairmanship and the Mission to Georgia, the European Commission and the United Nations, as well as diplomats from the European Union, Turkey and the United States will take part in the meeting.
"I am glad to see the Steering Committee meet at this time. It underlines the commitment to continue co-operation and confidence-building measures in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and surrounding areas," said Ambassador Roy Reeve, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia.
"Tomorrow's meeting will focus on priority projects relating to the social infrastructure, roads, energy, agriculture, business and finance. The Steering Committee will also consider a work plan for the next few months, which includes the setting up of an economic development centre in Tskhinvali and a management unit to implement the project."
This will be the first meeting since the June OSCE donors conference in Brussels, which raised some 8 million euros in pledges