Moscow ‘Confirms’ Financial Commitments To South Ossetia
By Civil.Ge
(Civil.Ge) — Russian Minister for the North Caucasus Affairs Lev Kuznetsov visited Tskhinvali on September 19, discussing with local leaders Moscow’s financial aid to the region.
At his meeting with Tskhinvali leader Anatoly Bibilov on September 19, Lev Kuznetzov said that the Russian Federation would keep up its financing of the region. “In these not-so-easy times for the federal budget, Russia confirms and accepts all the commitments previously undertaken in assisting South Ossetia,” he noted.
According to the Russian federal budget for 2017 (as of September 1, 2017), 7.266 billion rubles (USD 125.6 million) are assigned under the article “Providing financial assistance to the Republic of South Ossetia.” Additional 16.677 million rubles (USD 288.3 thousand) are designated for paying pensions of Russian citizens residing in the region.
The budget also includes plans for the funding in 2018 and 2019. 6.017 billion rubles (USD 104 million) will be transferred to Tskhinvali in 2018, and 6.179 billion rubles (USD 106.8 million) in 2019 under the article of “Providing financial assistance to the Republic of South Ossetia.” Pensions funding for 2018-2019 is not specified.
The budgetary figures for the Russian spending in Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia do not include funds designated for Russia’s military and security forces in the region.
During his two-day working visit, Kuznetsov inspected a number of construction sites in Tskhinvali funded by the Russian Federation, including hospital and university buildings.
