Donors Pledge EUR 10 mln for S.Ossetia Rehabilitation

Donor countries from the OSCE pledged more than EUR 10 million for the economic and infrastructure rehabilitation in the South Ossetian conflict zone at a conference in Brussels on June 14.

The pledges were: the European Commission (two million euros), the United States (two million US dollars), Sweden (one million euros), Belgium (one million euros), Germany (500,000 euros), the Netherlands (500,000 euros), Norway (about 250,000 euros), Spain (200,000 euros) and Finland (200,000 euros). Estonia, Turkey, France, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Italy, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland and Andorra pledged amounts of up to 150,000 euros, according to the OSCE press office.

The list of package proposals on rehabilitation projects was put together based on a needs assessment study carried out in 2005-2006 by international, Georgian and South Ossetian experts.

Representatives from the Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and Russia?s North Ossetian sides, which make up the main negotiating body over the conflict – the Joint Control Commission (JCC) – were also present at the conference.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht also addressed the conference.

On top of its pledge to the 2006 budget, the European Commission indicated  it was ready to support the package proposal with a similar effort in 2007, provided that the conditions in the field are conducive and the implementation of the projects goes well, according to the OSCE.

Russia has said it is going to support the economic development of the region with the equivalent of about three million euros. It also foresees the possibility that part of this amount would be allocated to specific projects coordinated with the OSCE, including those contained in the package proposals.

“This pledging conference is a sign of our belief that peace can be built in this region,” Minister De Gucht said in his closing remarks.

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