Archive - 5/2015

In Tskhinval took place the solemn signing of the Memorandum of cooperation between the State Committee for Information and Press of South Ossetia and the federal unitary enterprise "Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS)."
The signing ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the State Committee for Information and Press of South Ossetia Vyacheslav Gobozov and First Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS Mikhail Kalmykov.
According to the Memorandum, the parties agreed on information cooperation, the implementation and use of modern information technologies, working together to inform the Russian and world public about South Ossetia, strengthening strategic partnership and potential of the Republic.
In addition, for the fruitful and constructive collaboration with the ITAR-TASS the Chairman of the State Committee for Information and Press of South Ossetia Vyacheslav Gobozov and Presidential press Secretary Ghana Yanovskaya were presented letters of commendation.
It should be noted that the Memorandum was signed under the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance signed between Russia and South Ossetia in 2008.

In Tskhinval took place a meeting of the President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov with the delegation of the Russian news agency "TASS."
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister of South Ossetia Eric Pukhaev, the Chairman of the State Committee of Information and Press of South Ossetia Vyacheslav Gobozov.
The Head of State welcomed the guests of the Republic, expressing his gratitude for the interest shown in South Ossetia.
"I am always glad to see our friends from the news agency" TASS "- the president said. - I am very glad that you show such an interest in our country, because South Ossetia is a strategic partner to Russia, as well as Russia is our main strategic partner. I think that our meeting will contribute to further development of relations between our countries.
On Monday will take place a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of South Ossetia and the implementation of the Treaty, signed on March 18 between our countries."
Tibilov has noted that thanks to Russia South Ossetia is now a free country.

The President has stressed that today in South Ossetia is being celebrated one of the most important dates in the recent history of the Republic – the Day of adoption of the Act of Proclamation of the Independence of South Ossetia.
"Today is a festive day for us, - said the president. - Yesterday we hold main activities, including a meeting with the first convocation deputies of the South Ossetian Parliament. We recalled the history of our republic, those were really difficult times."
First Deputy General Director of TASS Mikhail Kalmykov also welcomed the head of state, congratulating him on the holiday.
"We are very pleased to be here in South Ossetia, - said Kalmykia. - This morning, we took part in the round table, which was attended by people who stood at the origins of the adoption of the Act of Independence of South Ossetia. We had a warm conversation, people shared their memories, and we realized that even then we were close in all respects. TASS then wrote a lot about those events. I believe that our meeting today in a peaceful independent South Ossetia is the main result of all that we have done together. And today we are one of the first after the signing of a bilateral agreement between the two countries. "
According to Kalmykov, the agency plans to open an office in South Ossetia.
"We are going to open an office in South Ossetia, of course, with your help, - said Kalmykov. - We will send out news, especially the good ones because, I think, the limit of negative news for South Ossetia has been exhausted. You, in turn, in your daily work can always rely on the TASS. For us, South Ossetia is not only a point on the map, but part of our destiny. Here in the most acute moment worked our journalists, many of them were awarded. I want you to know - we are always with you. "
At the end of the meeting the sides exchanged gifts.

May 29 in the Republic of South Ossetia is celebrated the 23th anniversary of the Act of Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia.

Vadim Gabaraev, the first convocation deputy of the Parliament of South Ossetia:

Ossetians have always been independent genetically. When making their first steps, when started talking about independence, the people of South Ossetia took heart. Everyone was striving for freedom.
There were also people who did not want the proclamation of the independence, dissuaded us, saying that the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia was the first step to war. But the only will of the people was independence! People believed and knew it was the only way to freedom.
It is impossible to describe the joy that reigned on the Theater Square May 29, 1992, when we announced the adoption of the Act of Independence of South Ossetia.
It was a great joy for the entire nation. You should have seen the eyes of people, full of joy and steadfastness in their striving for freedom.
The road to freedom was long and difficult, but Ossetians are a great nation, and we have won independence.

Vadim Tskhovrebov, director of the South Ossetian enterprise of bakery products:

The Act of Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia is a historical document, justice, which sooner or later would have to prevail.
The adoption of the Act of Independence of South Ossetia will remain forever in the history of the Ossetian people.
We gained independence, though it was a long road to it. I remember well how we were struggling for independence. We must remember, first of all, those people, both the living and the dead, thanks to whom we won independence; we must honor and respect our independence.
In connection with the celebration of this wonderful day, I wish the people of South Ossetia peaceful sky, happiness, health and prosperity.

Amiran Diaconov, MP of South Ossetia:

The adoption of the Act of Independence of South Ossetia 29 May 1992 is the basic document - the foundation of the independence of our state.
I would like to congratulate the people of South Ossetia on this momentous day, in particular, the members of the first convocation, which laid the basis for the legal framework of our state, thanks to their efforts was adopted the Act of Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia. In this regard, I wish the current Parliament to follow the professionalism, tolerance and patriotism of those people, thanks to whom we are living in the independent state.

May 28 in the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of the Republic of South Ossetia for post-conflict settlement M. Dzhioev was held a meeting with representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, members of the Russian delegation at the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia A. Dvinyaninov, N. Zhukov and M. Kulakhmetov.
During the meeting was discussed the situation at the state border of South Ossetia with Georgia, including in Leningor district, progress and prospects of the work of the Geneva format of negotiations.
Both sides stressed that a speedy settlement of the problems associated with delimitation and the demarcation line would meet the interests of the local population.
It was noted paramount importance of a bilateral legally binding agreement on the non-use of force between the Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia to maintain lasting security in the region. This problem becomes even more relevant against the backdrop of a close military cooperation between Georgia and NATO and individual NATO members, which threatens the regional stability. In connection with the voting at a session of the UN General Assembly on the next politicized Georgian draft resolution on refugees, which is scheduled to be held in early June, the meeting participants have stressed its destructive orientation, that prevents meaningful work on humanitarian issues in Geneva.
Russian-South Ossetian consultations confirmed the close allied relations between the two countries and the desire to continue coordinating joint efforts in the international arena.

The Act of Declaration of the Independence of South Ossetia is one of the most important and significant decisions of the Supreme Council of the Republic, said the deputy of four convocations of the Parliament of South Ossetia Tarzan Kokoity in his interview with the news agency "Res".

"The decision was very important in recognizing the statehood and independence of South Ossetia, said Kokoity.
In 1990, people of South Ossetia and the Council of People's Deputies of the then South Ossetian Autonomous Region proclaimed the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic as a part of a unified Soviet Union. But as we know in late 1991, early 1992 the Soviet Union collapsed.
Kokoity has noted that South Ossetia was left alone with the external long-standing enemy.
"In this situation it was necessary to take some measures - continued Kokoity. - In January 1992, we conducted on the territory of South Ossetia a nationwide referendum on the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia ".

Kokoity has reminded that in the referendum voted 76% of the population of South Ossetia, of which 99% voted for an independent state.
"On this basis, May 29, 1992 the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia adopted the Act of Declaration of the Independence of South Ossetia - Kokoity added. - Subsequently, no any state has recognized our Republic, but we, observing the Constitution, taking into account the outcome of the referendum, have not changed our decision. "

Kokoity has stressed that the Georgian side tried hard to resolve the issues by force.
"After the adoption of the Act of Declaration of the Independence of South Ossetia, on June 1, the Georgian armed forces, the so-called National Guard invaded South Ossetia and began intensive bombardment of Tskhinval until July 14, 1992, when the Russian peacekeeping battalion entered the territory of the Republic South Ossetia,"- said Kokoity.

"There was not a single day without victims, many people were killed then, - Kokoity said.
People of South Ossetia shed blood to attain the independence and we must preserve the independence for our future generations to live in our prosperous country. "

Relatives and friends of the citizens of South Ossetia George Zasseev, Joseph Kochiev and George Valiev, serving life sentences in the Gldani prison in Gori, are concerned due to failure of the Georgian authorities’ promises about the retrial of the convicted persons.

From February 24 to March 29 George Zaseev, Joseph Kochiev and George Valiev went on hunger strike, hoping for a revision of the trumped-up cases, because of which they had been sentenced to life imprisonment. After 36 days the prison was visited by representatives of the Georgian Presidential Executive Office; they assured the hunger strikers, that their cases would be reviewed. The prisoners stopped the hunger strike two months ago, but their cases have not been reviewed.

Deputy Presidential Envoy of the RSO for post-conflict settlement Khokh Gagloyty commented the situation, noting that "South Ossetian citizens, imprisoned in Georgia, are the hostages of the Georgian authorities."
"Speaking about the fate of the South Ossetian citizens in Georgian prisons, whom the South Ossetian side believes the hostages of the Georgian authorities, we should talk about concrete personalities - said Gagloyty. - It concerns, primarily, the citizens of South Ossetia Kochiev, Valiev and Zasseev, who since July 2005 are kept in prison, sentenced to life imprisonment. It is no secret that the Georgian side, mainly referring to representatives of the so-called "power block" and the nationalist wing of the political establishment, is biased against our fellow citizens. The evidence of this fact is in their principled unwillingness to release them. "

Answering the question of the correspondent of the news agency "Res", whether the South Ossetian side raised the question of the review of the cases of the convicts sentenced to life imprisonment after the hunger strike, Gagloyty has noted that "South Ossetian delegation, constantly puts this question at all international forums, attended by the South Ossetian and Georgian sides."

"This applies to the Geneva international discussions and meetings in the framework of the IPRM - said Gagloyty. - In particular, at the last round of Geneva discussions South Ossetian delegation submitted to the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions the letter from the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov with our proposal on mutual release of prisoners and the appeal to the Co-Chairs to act as mediators in this matter. "
Gagloyty has added that this question is put, regardless of the hunger strikes of prisoners.
"Although they are always the subject to our particular anxieties and concerns, and the fate of the South Ossetian prisoners in Georgian is one of the key issues in the relations between the Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia, - said Gagloyty. - The position of Georgian representatives on this issue also contains the constant definitions such as the "principled position" and "red line."
Such approaches of the Georgian side may be relevant only to journals colorings, and are contrary to those "humane initiatives" which are declared by the Georgian authorities in their promotional materials. It should be clearly understood by the observing part of the international community. "

Answering the question, whether there is any hope for a positive solution to the issue of the South Ossetian citizens serving sentences in prisons of Georgia, Khokh Gagloyty assured that "there is a hope, and the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of the RSO for post-conflict settlement will be working in this direction, relying on the existing capabilities."

It should be noted that in summer 2005 three citizens of South Ossetia George Zaseev, Joseph Kochiev and George Valiev had been detained in the village of Auneu by Georgian special services. The detainees were accused of distributing drugs and committing a terrorist act in the town of Gori (Georgia), and for ten years are kept in Gldani prison in Tbilisi. Within ten years, this is the fourth hunger strike in the hope that their cases will be reviewed.

Representatives of the Commission on Co-operation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation headed by the co-Chairman Alexander Totoonov, met with the President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Domenty Kulumbegov, Parliament Speaker Anatoly Bibilov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of South Ossetia Elbrus Kargiev, representatives of the Government of the Republic.
Leonid Tibilov noted the fruitful work of the Federation Council of the Parliament of South Ossetia and appreciated highly the relations between South Ossetia and Russia.
"The basis for cooperation was laid in 2008, but in recent years we have seen a great momentum in the work of the commission on cooperation, - the president said. - In the future, this work will continue in order to strengthen relations between the Russian Federation and South Ossetia. We are waiting for the ratification of the signed agreement on cooperation and integration between the two countries and we are aimed at closer integration. In addition, the South Ossetian side has already established contacts to implement the agreement - this is a meeting of the Minister of Education and Science Natalie Gassieva with the Moscow colleagues, and elaborating of the issue of pension provision of the population, as well as the security system. "
Today, the president said, "to raise the standard of living of the population is a primary task, and the government will be working on it."
"The new agreement on cooperation and integration provides higher wages, pensions, and benefits." - said Tibilov.
Alexander Totoonov, for his part, reported on the work carried out in South Ossetia.
"We have considered a number of bills that we have elaborated with the Parliament of the Republic, in particular, once again highlighted the problem of high-tech medical care, - said Totoonov. - South Ossetia signed the Treaty of alliance and integration with Russia, in future will be issued laws that will facilitate the early implementation of the Treaty, in particular in the health sector. "
In addition, Totoonov offered the South Ossetian counterparts an internship in the Federation Council.
Anatoly Bibilov appreciated highly the cooperation and collaboration of the legislative branches of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation.
"The great work is expected to be done after the ratification of the alliance and integration Treaty- said Bibilov. - The adopted laws should be as efficient as possible. "
At the end of the event, representatives of the Commission on Co-operation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation presented gifts to Leonid Tibilov.

In the Parliament of South Ossetia was held a meeting of members of the Cooperation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Parliament of South Ossetia, led by co-Chairman for the Russian side Alexander Totoonov with Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov.
The Russian side at the meeting was represented by the member of the legislative body of the government of Karachai-Cherkess Republic, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets Oleg Kazakovtsev, a representative of the executive body of the Republic of Tatarstan, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets Sergey Batin , executive secretary of the commission Alexander Pozdnyakov.
The South Ossetian side at the meeting was represented by Vice- Speakers of the Parliament of South Ossetia Inal Mamiev and Dmitry Tasoev, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of the Parliament of South Ossetia Igor Kochiev.
At the beginning of the meeting Anatoly Bibilov welcomed the guests and thanked them for friendly attitude towards South Ossetia, attention to its problems. Bibilov also wished the members of the Commission good luck in their future work.
"The issues that will be worked out by the Commission are very important for the Republic of South Ossetia - said Bibilov. - The challenge for the Republic and the deputies is the unification of the agreements under the Treaty, which was signed this year. All these processes are inevitable in the best sense of the word, and this is very important. I am confident that the work will be completely constructive and the tasks will be considered by the Commission. "
In turn, Alexander Totoonov also noted the importance of holding such meetings.
"I am very pleased that we hold active meetings. Such meetings are some kind of demonstration of the working attitude, the readiness to not only make our position stronger, but also to continue the policy of further integration with Russia - said Totoonov. - I am convinced that today's agenda, as well as the follow-up, with great responsibility and a very professional approach of my colleagues, will be a priority for us, and I hope that our modest contribution and our assistance will become some important contribution to the construction process of South Ossetia ", - said Totoonov.

Minister for Emergency Situations of South Ossetia Sergey Sanakoev has visited today the VIII Moscow International Salon of safety equipment "Integrated Safety - 2015".
According to the press service of the Emergency Ministry, Sanakoev has visited the International Salon of safety equipment on the invitation of the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation Vladimir Puchkov.

The Emergency Ministries of Russia and South Ossetia signed an agreement on cooperation; interaction between the two agencies is maintained at a high level.
It is also planned to hold a number of meetings between the Minister of Emergency Situations of South Ossetia and the Russian counterparts.

Salon participants will be able to see modern fire and rescue technologies, leading innovative developments in the field of integrated security.
As part of the Salon will also be held full-scale demonstration exercises using aircraft at the site of EMERCOM of Russia in Moscow.

More than 500 exhibitors from 20 countries will take part in the Salon; it will be attended by more than 20 thousand visitors.

"Integrated Safety - 2015" is a platform which demonstrates the achievements of science and high technologies in the field of integrated security.

May 16 In Brussels will start the "Days of Ossetian culture in Europe."
As reported to IA "Res" by the Chairman of the nonprofit International Association «Renaissance Sandidzan» («Revival") Radion Pukhaev, in the framework of the "Days of Ossetian culture in Europe" will be held round tables with participation of creative intellectuals of Ossetia and Europe, exhibitions, open air events and workshops.
"Our actions will begin on May 16 with a round table of the creative intelligentsia of Ossetia and Europe "Bridges of cooperation ", - said Pukhaev. - On the same day will be premiered the film
"Mine" by the famous director Murat Dzhusoyty.
There will also be a meeting with the authors and actors of the film. "

Pukhaev has noted that in the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Brussels will open the V international exhibition of Ossetian artists «Arv-Art».
"The paintings and graphics artists are: Magrez Kelekhsaev, Lavrenty Kasoev, Valery Atayev, Vadim Pukhaev, Marat Kesaev, Victor Tsallagov, Akhsar Yesenov, Boris Gabaraev and Akhsar Akhpolov" - said Pukhaev, adding that the "Days of Ossetian culture in Europe" will be held in Belgium, France and Luxembourg.