Tbilisi, Tskhinvali unveil development plans for South Ossetia

The Georgian government has pledged to allocate GEL 6 million (about USD 3.5 million) for infrastructure and other projects in Tbilisi-controlled villages in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone last week.

Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli signed a decree on February 21 encompassing several projects to implement in villages of the Didi Liakhvi and Patara Liakhvi gorges.

GEL 3.2 million will be allocated to bring natural gas to villages, GEL 1.05 million is allocated to rehabilitate the water supply system and GEL 1 million is to be spent for street lighting and the purchase of land necessary for the construction of an entertainment complex in the village of Tamarasheni.

Speaking at the news conference on February 23, President Mikheil Saakashvili said the government is striving to help the local population.

"We are doing our best to provide conditions there which will help the locals not to feel isolated and abandoned," Saakashvili said.

One initiative which can, according to the president, make the local population feel better about their lives is the opening of a disco-club in the conflict zone.

"When we have a disco-club in Tamarasheni in a month, with a cinema and a sports palace, where do you think the Ossetian youth will go in the evenings? Will they fire at the club, or will they lay down their arms and go to this club and dance with their neighbours?" he said.

The president hinted that the separatist government would find money to build another disco club in Tskhinvali, which he said would be a good thing, as two such disco-clubs in the conflict zone would be even better than one.

The de facto authorities of South Ossetia, meanwhile, are making their own plans to develop the region. In a recent interview, prime minister of the separatist South Ossetian government Yuri Morozov said the government will launch programmes to support small and medium businesses this March.

"Plans on development of small and medium businesses in Ossetia are vast," Morozov said adding the de facto administration plans to allot no less than RUB 10 million (about USD 381 000) for these projects.

Morozov said that the government is considering launching a privatization program soon. "We need to file a list of assets to privatize and this work will soon be implemented," he said.

The de facto authorities also plan to develop the mining industry, for example quarrying marble, as well as extracting oil.

"We had talks with Moscow [about the exploration for marble]. Moscow has a lot of interest in marble which can be used in construction," Morozov said.

Morozov also mentioned that South Ossetia wants to construct its own energy facilities, for example a small hydro-electric power station. He added that the de facto government has already been conducting negotiations with the Russian energy distribution company RAO UES and DagEnergo (Dagestan Energy) on this issue.


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