Putin to discuss issues of economic assistance with South Ossetian president
MOSCOW. May 20 (Interfax) - Russia's assistance to the South Ossetian social and economic development will be one the main topics of the talks Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov are to hold on May 21 in Sochi.
"It is planned to discuss the state and prospects of the bilateral relations and pressing issues of the Russian assistance to the social and economic development of the republic," the Kremlin press office said in a statement.
Moscow says that "the key task is perfecting the mechanisms of the financial, economic and expert assistance to South Ossetia." The intergovernmental committee on the cooperation development with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is in particular dealing with these issues. The committee is co-chaired by Russian presidential aide Tatyana Golikova and Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev.
An investment program to the social and economic development of South Ossetia is currently being implemented, the Kremlin said. Gazprom has invested over 10 billion rubles in the construction of the Dzuarikau-Tskhinval gas pipeline.
"Russia is providing South Ossetia with considerable help in establishing the statehood and in the social and economic development and will guarantee reliably the republic's security," the statement said.
Russia is also the main economic partner of South Ossetia. Trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $57.2 million in 2012. South Ossetian (agriculture) exports gained in 2013 over 24% year to year.
Kremlin said that the two countries cooperated in the humanitarian sphere as well. Russian universities and institutes regularly allocate preferential educational grants to South Ossetian students (172 student spaces in 2012/2013 academic year).
Russia recognized South Ossetia's independence almost five years ago, on August 26, 2008.
