EU curtails its humanitarian programmes in Northern Caucasus

As stated by Ambassador Fernando Valenzuela, head of the EU Delegation in Russia, during a visit to Ingushetia, the European Union (EU) is phasing out its humanitarian programmes in Northern Caucasus in connection with improved situation in the region.

Mr Valenzuela said: "The situation in the region is changing; therefore, the EU changes its priorities and decided to stops humanitarian programmes in the region.

"My colleague came with me here - the head of the EU's humanitarian office; he arrived here just to curtail our humanitarian assistance programme, because there is no need of it," said the head of the EU's representative office.

In the future, according to Fernando Valenzuela, the EU's mission will be "to interest European companies in cooperation and investing in Ingushetia," the ITAR-TASS reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the delegation of the Permanent Mission of the EU in Russia arrived in Northern Caucasus on April 5. In Ingushetia, the delegation met the head of the republic Yunus-Bek Evkurov and Ombudsman in Ingushetia Dzhambulat Ozdoev. Besides, Mr Valenzuela met Magomed Mutsolgov, head of the human rights organization "MASHR".

The main topics were the socio-economic situation in the republic, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Mr Evkurov stated that "within the last year we had to deal more with social and economic issues than with the fight against crime," the "Interfax" reports.

Today, the delegation will spend a day in North Ossetia; then it will go to Chechnya, the RIA "Novosti" reports.