Archive - 7/2009

The Government of South Ossetia cannot confirm any current plans to build any kind of military airbase in our country. However, we would welcome any facility that would protect our people from further Georgian military attacks.

The world need not worry about what is happening in South Ossetia. We are working to build a free and independent country, where our people can live in peace and not be constantly afraid of attack from our neighbors. Rather, the international community should be worried about the future intentions of Georgia, which has attacked our country several times in recent years, including brutally only one year ago.

Today, the first Vice-Premier of South Ossetia Khasan Pliev met with inhabitants of the village of Tsnelis, Znaur district. The meeting focused on security for inhabitants of the village. According to residents of Tsnelis, their main concerns were over the fact that their village has been previously subjected to shelling from the Georgian side, in which four people died. The villagers were afraid of repeated incidents of the kind.
“The situation is complicated. We are living in constant fear. Recently, armed Georgians were noticed in our village. After the withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from the village and moreover, after the yesterday’s explosions the situation is frightening”, said the villagers.

A mine blast occurred in the area of Georgia adjacent to the borders with South Ossetia. A car carrying a family of Leningor district resident Gocha Gigauri exploded in the mine blast. As reported by the press-service of the Leningor Administration, the blast took place right at the borderline between South Ossetia and Gerogia.
“Gigauri was crossing the border by-passing the official border checkpoints, and had most probably driven over a mine. As a result, Gocha Gigauri was killed and all other passengers were injured and brought to the hospital in Gudushauri, Georgia”, says the report.

On 23 July, the Supreme Sourt of South Ossetia began the hearings on criminal charges against South Ossetian citizen Timur Zakharievich Guchmazti, 1957, who has been indicted in accordance with Art. 275 of the RF Criminal Code “High Treason”, reported the RSO KGB press-service.

The RSO President Eudard Kokoity together with visiting Head of the RF Emercom Sergey Shoigu and President of North Ossetia-Alania Taimuraz Mamsurov saw the fire-fighting and rescue service buildings in Tskhinval and in Djava (Djava district).
Sergey Shoigu handed over to South Ossetia colleagues four fire-fighting vehicles and rescue equipment. While talking about the tasks of the RSO Emercom, Shoigu stressed that these are: to save human lives, and to ensure that all supplies needed for people a in place

Trips of the Russian Federation citizens, other CIS participating states and Abkhazia to South Osseti are possible through the border check-point in Nizhni Zaramag at the Russian-South Ossetian borderline. Citizens of third countries for entering the territory of South Ossetia from Russia should have a multiple entry visa of the RF to be able to return to their place of residence through Russian territory. The Republic of South Ossetia is a sovereign state, a recognized state seeking for establishing equal and friendly relations with all states and develop mutually beneficial cooperation.

Psychologists from the Republican Center for Medical and Social Assistance of North Ossetia-Alania are providing psychological assistance to residents of South Ossetia. The psychologists are working in South Ossetia upon the invitation from the Foundation “Goryanka”, reported a representative of the Center, psychologist Umar Khugaev.
”We are having many visitors with problems related to consequences of the Georgian aggression. Depending on the problem, which a client comes with, we elaborate an individual methodology”, says Khugaev.

“Deployment of US. observers on the Georgian territory adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia will contradict the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreements”, said the Post-Conflict Settlement Special Representative Boris Chochiev, commenting on the official appeal of Georgian authorities to the US. leadership requesting for deployment of Western observers for military monitoring of the territory of Georgia adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia
”In accordance with the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreements, only 200 EU observers have the right for military monitoring on the territories of Georgia adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia”, said the Special Representative.

The President of the Republic of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity during his meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev expressed his gratitude for recognition of South Ossetia. “We are happy to welcome you in South Ossetia. The people of the Republic of South Ossetia is grateful for the recognition of our state. Today, there is a big holiday in South Ossetia”, stated Eduard Kokoity.
In return, the President of Russia expressed his gratitude for being invited to visit South Ossetia. “Thank you very much for your invitation to visit the new state – South Ossetia, which emerged owing to difficult, dramatic events through which the Russian people offered their support to South Ossetia. I do believe that today’s short, first working visit by the President of the Russian Federation will set the ground for various contacts and friendly relations”, stated the Russian President.
“Our states both have a glorious past and solid legal basis. I mean the negotiations being held with the Russian Federation. We have a wide range of projects aimed at rehabilitation of economy in South Ossetia and the social sector here. We will definitely implement many activities. You will show us what is needed. We have the necessity to maintain our cooperation in defense sphere. We have a corresponding treaty. Therefore I think that throughout our today’s discussions we will focus on development of our relations. Thank you for your invitation”, said Dmitry Medvedev.
After the meeting, the Russian President went to greet the city residents who gathered at the central square.

The Presidents of the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia Dmitry Medvedev and Eduard Kokoity accompanied by the Minister of Defense of the RF Anatoly Serdyukov and the RSO Minister of Defense Yury Tanaev visited the RF Defense Ministry Forth Military Base located in Tskhinval. The Chief of the North Caucasus Command Sergey Makarov reported to the RF President on the situation at the Base and the tasks implemented by the Base troops.
The Chief Commander noted that the Staff is fully manned. Then majority of officers have a combat experience obtained in conflict regions. “Currently, this Base is ready to fulfill all its tasks”, underlined Makarov.
Dmitry Medvedev and Eduard Kokoity saw the armored vehicles park, the barracks and the mess.
The visit of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev to South Ossetia has finished.