Archive - 12/2013

The information about launching the printing office in the South Ossetian State University which was donated to the university in 2008 by the Union of Rectors of Russia, has been commented by the Secretary General of the Union of Rectors of Russia Olga Kashirina. She has noted that "for the Russian Union of Rectors launching of the printing office of the South Ossetian State University is a long-expected event. In fact, only after this we have completed the first stage of the action of the Russian higher education community to support South Ossetian colleagues. "
According to Kashirina the year 2008 has become a crucial point in the understanding of the post-Soviet security. But, exposing the obvious threat, it also showed tremendous strength of professional solidarity of scientific and educational corporation of our countries. It became apparent that the separation of state borders could not damage the integrity of the spirit of our mutual support and responsibility for serving to the ideals of enlightenment.
"At that time, initiatives to support the citizens of South Ossetia who were in a humanitarian catastrophe came from the regional councils of rectors and universities. Professors, teachers and university students from different parts of Russia - from the Far East to Kaliningrad- were involved in the fate of the South Ossetian people,"- said Olga Kashirina.
Particular attention was paid to the situation in the sphere of education.
"Of course, we were particularly concerned about the situation in the education sector. The main university in your country - South Ossetian State University – had almost completely lost its Library Fund, including rare editions. To restore the educational process it was required classic textbooks in all disciplines. The University administration appealed to the Russian Union of Rectors for assistance in acquiring basic resources for organization of educational process - computers, photocopiers, fax machines. It became the starting point of the assistance of Russian universities. Was launched collection of textbooks and manuals, funds to purchase printing complex for the university,"- said Secretary -General of the Union of Rectors of Russia.
Olga Kashirina has also noted the phased delivery of humanitarian aid of the Russian Union of Rectors to South Ossetian State University:
"The first batch of humanitarian aid of the Russian Union of Rectors to South Ossetian State University was delivered by special flight of the Russian Emergencies Ministry to Vladikavkaz. It included 1612 classic textbooks and manuals, as well as a modern computer lab, consisting of 34 office units and photocopiers. This contributed to the restoration of the educational process at the University since September 1, 2008.
September 16, 2008 special plane of the Emergencies Ministry delivered the second batch of humanitarian aid. In the collection of humanitarian aid - educational literature - to recover the book fund, completely lost during the military actions in Tskhinval- took part over 200 higher education institutions of Russia. Thus, with the help of the university community of Russia was formed a unique university library, consisting of the best examples of educational literature of the leading universities of the country.
The third phase of humanitarian aid to South Ossetian University started with providing modern multifunctional printing complex - an autonomous university printing house. In purchase of the printing house took part more than 100 higher education institutions, which promptly transferred more than 10 million rubles to the special account."
It should be noted that the main building of the South Ossetian State University, burned during the war 08.08.08., is still not restored and a matter of installing the printing complex in the remaining areas is open, as considered different variants of reconstruction of the burnt or construction of a new university complex.
Secretary General of the Russian rectors ' Union Olga Kashirina believes that «the time has come to take the next step of the South-Ossetian state University in cooperation with the Union of Rectors, the result of which should be the balanced program of strategic development of the University. Modern university is required together with the students to generate knowledge and implement it into development; it should set guidelines to the region, as well as to the economy. Convinced your universit

At the press centre of the State Committee of Information and Press was held a press-conference of the head of the Consular Department of the Embassy of Russia in South Ossetia Tamerlan Zasseev. He told about the work of the Department and the services provided by the Consular Department to citizens of South Ossetia and Russia.
He has reminded that the temporary consular office of the Russian Foreign Ministry was opened in Tskhinval in September 2008. At that time it provided a limited set of services - replacement of passports, rendering assistance to retirees and granting Russian citizenship to minors.
"Since 2009, when in South Ossetia was opened Russian embassy, the Consular Department began to provide a full range of services on a par with any other Russian diplomatic mission in the world," - said Zasseev.
The main part of the work is connected with the issuance or replacement of Russian foreign passports to citizens of the Russian Federation or residing in South Ossetia.
"Citizens can get two types of passports - for five years, obtained by the majority of the population of the Republic, and the so-called biometric for 10 years. Biometric passport has a high level of immunity, being more trusted while visiting most of the countries,"- said the head of the Department.
He has specified that for obtaining a foreign passport the originals of the required documents and their quality copies must be submitted to the Consular Section.
«The cost of a standard passport is 930 rubles, the biometric - 2480 rubles. Terms of registration of both types of the document are the same - up to three months. Citizens can apply for a passport, as directly to the Consular Department, and through the Internet sites passportzu.ru (to obtain ordinary foreign passports for five years) and midpass.ru (the biometric passport). Payment of both types of the document is through Sberbank RSO, "- told Zasseev.
He has noted that the Consular Department works in close cooperation with the passport and visa service of the Interior Ministry of South Ossetia, where citizens can also get support in preparation of the documents, as well as render advisory assistance.
If necessary, employees of the Department visit the districts of the Republic, providing consular services to the population on the spot.
Concerning the conditions for obtaining Russian citizenship Zasseev stressed that at the moment in South Ossetia Russian citizenship could be granted only to minors.
"Adult citizens of South Ossetia can expect to obtain Russian citizenship only on the condition that they fall under at least one article of the Russian law on citizenship," - said the diplomat.
He has added that at the moment the work on an agreement between South Ossetia and Russia on dual citizenship is under way.
"As soon as it is signed, the Consular Department will again start to accept documents from all citizens of South Ossetia wishing to obtain Russian citizenship," - said Zasseev.
This year Russian citizens residing in South Ossetia could obtain a certificate for maternity capital.
"At the moment the certificate already received about 15 women, more applications are under consideration," - said Zasseev.
He has added that the Consular Department provides notary services to the population, mainly various types of power of attorney.
"These documents do not differ from the issued directly on the territory of the Russian Federation and are valid in all Russian institutions," - said the head of Department.
The Department also legalizes the documents issued in South Ossetia that citizens of the Republic intend to present on the territory of Russia.
"The necessity of legalization of documents will disappear after the conclusion of the agreement between South Ossetia on temporary assistance in civil, family and criminal cases. The draft document is ready and, hopefully, soon it will be signed,"- said Zasseev
Attache of the Embassy Soslan Tsidaev told the journalists about the situation with the deposits of the citizens of South Ossetia in the North Ossetian Region Development Bank.
"Currently the North Ossetian Region Development Bank became bankrupt. Pensions and deposits of citizens are paid by three Russian Banks - Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank and Svyazbank, compensating deposits up to 700 thousand rubles, anything over will be paid after the sale of property of the bank", - explained Tsidaev.
In conclusion Tamerlan Zasseev has noted that for Russian citizens who are in the territory of South Ossetia on a business trip, the Consular Department provides the registry office services.
For the veterans of the great Patriotic war all the services of the Consular Department are free of charge.

During the 26 round of Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia South Ossetian delegation pointed out the destabilizing orientation of the provocative actions of the Georgian side to heighten information tension, speculating in the interests of residents of the border villages in connection with the demarcation activities carried out by the relevant authorities of the RSO. This is stated in the final report of the South Ossetian delegation at the Geneva talks.

In Geneva has completed the 26 round of discussions on security in Transcaucasia. As the news agency "Res" has been reported over the phone from Geneva by Presidential Envoy of South Ossetia for post-conflict settlement, the head of the South Ossetian delegation Murat Dzhioev, at the current round the participants have focused on security in the region and on non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Photo-exhibition "Life on the border" reflecting the life and service of employees of the FSB Border Control Agency of Russia in South Ossetia, was opened at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Tskhinval.

As part of the joint program of activities for 2013-2014 signed between Prosecutor General`s Offices of South Ossetia and Russia, representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office of the RSO embarked for Moscow on the first working visit.

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.

December 12-13 in Vladikavkaz is under way the International Conference "Features and prospects of international processes in North and South Ossetia," organized by the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and the North Ossetian Institute of Humanities and Social Studies.
The participants of the conference are discussing the prospects of political, legal, historical, cultural and socio-economic integration of North and South Ossetia. Among the participants of the conference are: Doctor of History, Professor Dzidzoev, Candidate of History, Professor Gagloev, Candidate of Philosophy Dzugayev, Candidate of History Chibirov, Associate Professor Sanakoev, Doctor of History Dzattiaty and other outstanding scientists.
Within the framework of the International Conference will take place a presentation of the book by Boris Chochiev "Georgian chroniclers and historians about South Ossetia and Georgia." The book contains fragments of works of Georgian historians and scientific works of famous Georgian historians about early stages of the history of Ossetians and Georgians, confirming the Ossetian ethnos to be indigenous in South Ossetia and shedding light on the question of the original motherland of Georgian people.
Boris Chochiev is a Head of the Presidential Executive Office of the Republic of South Ossetia. In different years, he served as a Chairman of the State Committee for Nationalities and Migration, Minister for Special Assignments of the RSO, Minister for Special Affairs of South Ossetia, First Deputy Prime Minister of South Ossetia. From 1993 to 2008 - co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission for the Georgian- Ossetian conflict from the South Ossetian side.

Participants of the 26 round of international discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia, scheduled for December 18 in Geneva, will discuss the situation on the state border of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with Georgia, as well as socio-economic development of the region.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the main theme of the security group is traditionally to develop reliable guarantees of non-use of force by Georgia against neighboring states;
it will continue the consideration of draft documents in this sphere, including the Russian initiative on adopting a joint declaration of all participants of the Geneva discussions on the non-use of force. Furthermore, at the Geneva meeting will be reviewed the activities of the Mechanisms for preventing and responding to incidents at the South Ossetian- Georgian and Georgian - Abkhazian border.
The humanitarian group will continue discussions on the issues of interest to the participants, including the exchange of detained persons in the border areas and the search for the missing persons.
The Geneva discussions are held since October 2008 after the armed aggression of Georgia against South Ossetia. They involve representatives of the Republic of South Ossetia, the Republic of Abkhazia, the Russian Federation, Georgia, United States of America, as well as the UN, OSCE and EU.
South Ossetian delegation is led by Presidential Envoy of the RSO for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev.

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.