Project plans for economic rehabilitation of zone of Georgian-Ossetian conflict discussed at OSCE meeting

TBILISI, 13 March 2007 - Internationally-funded projects for the economic rehabilitation of the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict are being discussed at an OSCE-chaired Steering Committee meeting in Tskhinvali today.

The Committee, which includes donors, is discussing progress made in implementing ongoing projects, including business and agricultural training programmes. It is also reviewing infrastructure projects that will focus on several schools in the area and in Kvaisa, and ways to improve the delivery of potable water to Tskhinvali and Tamarasheni.

"The Steering Committee focuses on projects which will directly benefit communities in the zone of conflict and help build confidence between them," said Ambassador Roy Reeve, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia.

The Committee is also reviewing future projects for social infrastructure, roads, energy, agriculture, business and finance.

"The meeting underlines the international community's commitment to continue co-operation and confidence-building measures in support of a peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict," added Ambassador Reeve.

Donors, including representatives of the European Commission, the European Union, Turkey and the United States, are taking part in the meeting along with representatives of the Georgian, South Ossetian and Russian Federation sides.

In June 2006, at an OSCE-hosted conference in Brussels, international donors pledged some 8 million Euro to the programme, which is being managed by the OSCE Mission to Georgia. The donations were made for a range of projects agreed by the Georgian and South Ossetian sides after a needs-assessment study completed last year.

19 OSCE participating States including Georgia, as well as the EC, have pledged funds towards the rehabilitation programme.