Two republics side by side: Russia and North Ossetia.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with President of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Taymuraz Mamsurov.
"It will be useful to remember about the tragedy that occurred in South Ossetia three years ago, its victims and the heroes who resisted the external aggression," the prime minister said. "These people are literally brothers to you, not just neighbours."
"What you said is true, they are our brothers, we speak the same language, we belong to the same religion, we are relatives," Mamsurov replied. "South Ossetia suffered great damage: there was no sewer system, no water pipes. The first thing we did at their request was to send them a large team of workers to help restore the economy. They had the ideal conditions for growing good agricultural products but they lacked the means to sell them. Now they can do it."
Mamsurov said that young people from South Ossetia come to study at educational institutions of North Ossetia and everyone who applies is accepted. "The number of applications automatically becomes the quota," Mamsurov said.
"In my opinion, the political situation is stable there, though they are heading for the presidential election in the near future," North Ossetia head said and added that "South Ossetia is now moving in the right direction."
As for the development of North Ossetia, its head said that gross regional product per capita amounts to 105,100 roubles. "This is higher that the average for our federal district." The average salary exceeds 12,000 roubles.
"How much money do you get for healthcare modernisation?" the prime minister asked.
"1.7 billion roubles. The procedure was very difficult but we coped with it successfully. The control is harsh and we are very afraid of making a mistake. When major funding is involved, they would use a different term for such a mistake," Mamsurov said.
"You shouldn't forget about rural healthcare," Putin reminded.
"Of course. It should be widely available and affordable," the president named the main criteria. "We are planning to conducts health check-ups over a period of one to one and a half years that would allow us to get the full picture of the population's health."
"What can you say about the construction sector?" the prime minister asked.
"The speed of construction work is growing. There is a strong urbanisation process, with people leaving rural areas and moving to cities," Mamsurov said. "I keep asking them to return to their land, and maybe sometimes I am too persistent, but they left their fathers' homes..."
Larisa Kaftan