Диана Козаева

December 17-18 in Geneva will be held the 26 round of discussions on security in Transcaucasia. A priority issue at the Geneva discussions for the South Ossetian side remains the signing of an agreement on the non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia. According to the RSO Presidential Envoy for post- settlement Murat Dzhioev, the main task of the 26 round of the Geneva discussions is still the issue to draft the legally binding agreements on non-use of force. "As an interim step, our delegation will insist to adopt a joint Declaration of the participants of the discussions on the commitment to the principle of the nonuse of force. This follows from the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement, signed September 12, 2008,"- said the envoy.

The first priority for the government of South Ossetia today is the restoration of housing and socio-economic infrastructure damaged during the Georgian aggression in August 2008, said today Deputy Prime Domenti Kulumbegov at a press conference in Tskhinval.
According to him, this work includes not only the implementation of the Investment Program to promote socio-economic development of South Ossetia; steps are being taken to ensure the construction of unfinished projects to be completed in the coming year.
"This is in the forefront of the Investment program to promote socio-economic development of South Ossetia in 2014, so that in future we`ll be able to go over to the development of economy of the Republic," - said Deputy Prime Minister.
He has stressed that along with the social facilities, construction and restoration of which is included in the Investment program in 2014, will continue housing development, as well as the development of the border areas of the Republic.
"As part of these activities first of all in the current year will be restored water supply to the villages in Leningor district where this problem has been pressing for a long time," - said Deputy Prime Minister .
The development of other areas is included in the investment programme for the next years.
"The leadership of the Republic will support agricultural projects, tourism and other areas. We have just put them for a year, as we need to complete the facilities of protracted construction."
Kulumbegov also told about the activities of the working group that interacts with the Assistant to the President of Russia for Cooperation with the CIS countries, South Ossetia and Abkhazia Vladislav Surkov. According to him, this work is not limited by investment issues, are also resolved other vital issues, arising in the course of collaboration and the main result of the work of this working group is the increase of financial aid to South Ossetia in 2014, which will amount to 1 billion - 2.8 billion rubles.
"With the appointment of Surkov the methods to solving the problems of South Ossetia have become more balanced and clear, appropriate to the situation in the restoration process," - said Kulumbegov, noting that previously there was no clear and systematic work that caused the ineffective execution of plans for the restoration of the Republic.

The Trade Agreement, signed with Russia, opens wide possibilities to revive the economy of South Ossetia, said at a press conference in Tskhinval Deputy Prime Minister of South Ossetia Domenty Kulumbegov.

State Duma has ratified an agreement with South Ossetia on the duty-free importation of goods with preservation of seizure on some of the most considerable commodity items.

The Trade Agreement signed between South Ossetia and Russia will be the basis for building further economic relations with Russia, said a Chairman of the Union of Entrepreneurs, MP Marina Dzigoeva in her interview with the news agency "Res".

Parliamentary delegation of South Ossetia headed by Vice Speaker Yuri Dzitstsoity attended a meeting of the Commission for Co-operation of the Federation Council and the Parliament of South Ossetia, which was held in Moscow today. The South Ossetian delegation is composed of Deputy Speaker Mira Tskhovrebova and a Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for legislation, legality and local self-government Amiran Diaconov.

The agreement on free trade with Russia will give a new impetus to the development of the economy of South Ossetia, said Prime Minister of South Ossetia Rostik Khugaev in his interview with the news agency "Res".
According to him, South Ossetian entrepreneurs can run and develop their business in the most favorable conditions.
"With such a vast market like Russian and having the same conditions as the Russian entrepreneurs, we must do everything to make proper use of these opportunities," - said Khugaev.

Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, signed with them the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance, ensuring the security of their borders, as well as military security on the basis of the signed agreements. These new realities in the Caucasus should be recognized, announced in Brussels Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, answering the questions of journalists after a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the level of Foreign Ministers.
According to him, these realities have been gradually penetrating into the minds.
"The fact that at the Geneva Discussions on Transcaucasia South Ossetia , Abkhazia and Georgia, along with Russia, the US, EU, UN, OSCE participate equally in discussions on security and humanitarian issues, has confirmed that there is no other way but a dialogue," – emphasized Lavrov.
Speaking about the processes on arrangement of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia, the Foreign Minister stressed that the state border should certainly be protected, and violations on both sides should be suppressed.
"There are rules, reflecting the global practice. As soon as the "hotheads" cool down, maybe the wire will not be required. We want the peoples of Transcaucasia to live in peace, friendship and good neighborhood. In addition to bilateral relations with Georgian partners, we will strive for this purpose. I hope that the agenda will return the question of restoring diplomatic relations, interrupted on the initiative of the Georgian side,"- said Lavrov.

South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov held a meeting, where he summarized the results of the working visit to the Republic of the RF Presidential Aide for Cooperation with the CIS countries, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the results of the ninth meeting of the intergovernmental commission on socio-economic cooperation between Russia and South Ossetia.