Rehabilitation Projects Discussed in S.Ossetia

Rehabilitation and development projects within the South Ossetian conflict zone was the focus of a meeting organized by the OSCE Mission in South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali on December 16, OSCE Mission to Georgia reported.

?Economic rehabilitation can strengthen confidence between the sides and create more favorable conditions for a constructive political dialogue towards the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict,? Ambassador Roy Reeve, Head of the OSCE Mission, said at the meeting.

He also said that the Joint Control Commission (JCC) shares this view, having agreed to launch a needs assessment study earlier this year.

?Economic development is an important component in the recent peace initiatives presented by the leaderships of the sides,? he added.

Deputy State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Volsky represented the Georgian side at the meeting.

Representatives of North Ossetia and Russia participated in the meeting, as well as representatives of the donor countries, including the European Commission and the U.S. Embassy.

The study is to be completed by mid-March 2006, to be followed by a donor conference, with the participation of the Co-Chairmen of the JCC.

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