Archive - 7/2015

South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov met with the former head of North Ossetia-Alania Taimuraz Mamsurov, who was on a visit to South Ossetia.
During the meeting the head of the South Ossetian State noted the merits of Taymuraz Mamsurov before the people of South Ossetia, stressing that "he was with our people in August 2008, as well as in hard times".
"As the head of North Ossetia, Taimuraz Mamsurov was an authoritative leader and earned respect of his colleagues," - said Tibilov.

Leonid Tibilov expressed the hope that the great experience of Taimuraz Mamsurov will be used for the benefit of his native land, for the benefit of the Russian nation.

In turn, Taimuraz Mamsurov stressed that «he is always glad to come to the Republic, to the fraternal people."

"Arriving in the Republic, I always see some positive changes. Especially it concerns the sphere of restoration of war-ravaged economy. "- he said.

South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia Kazbulat Tskhovrebov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Ossetia to the Russian Federation Znaur Gassiev.
As reported to IA "Res" by Presidential press Secretary Ghana Yanovskaya, during the meeting were discussed issues concerning the work of the two agencies, outlined the tasks of implementing the planned course.
The head of the South Ossetian State has stressed that the activities of some of the most important agencies of the Republic should be directed at strengthening of statehood and improving the image of the Republic both in the Russian space and at the international level.
"Every department should work primarily for the benefit of the people and the Republic. Every step must be estimated,"- said Tibilov.
According to the President, it is necessary in the coming days to study the organization of meetings with other ambassadors and representatives of South Ossetia in the countries with which we have established bilateral relations.
During the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia Kazbulat Tskhovrebov has stressed that in the course of the meeting held in his office have been outlined tasks relating to the implementation of the general policy of the Republic. During the extended meeting, the new Ambassador of South Ossetia to the Russian Federation was introduced to the Foreign Ministry staff.
"In the course of the meeting were also assigned tasks. The main issue is professional development of the staff of the agency. I received full support and understanding of my colleagues who see what is the burn point and large volume of work", - he said.
According to the Ambassador of South Ossetia to Russia Znaur Gassiev, the team in Moscow is hard-working and will be working to implement the tasks. Today, the work of the Embassy requires optimization, we will be jointly strengthening the positions of South Ossetia ", - the ambassador said.

Information agency "Res" has been monitoring the events at the state border between the Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia, where in recent days Georgian extremists damaged several South Ossetian border markers.
The correspondent of IA "Res" asked the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of the RSO for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev to comment on the situation:
During the last three days the representatives of the Georgian non-governmental organizations damaged three South Ossetian border markers along the border between South Ossetia and Georgia in the areas of the South Ossetian and Georgian villages of Orchosan and Tsitelubani.
These actions are rowdy and provocative, accompanied by illegal penetration into the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia. I`d like to remind that the South Ossetian border authorities set up these boundary markers solely on the South Ossetian territory, at least 50 meters away from the border line.
Instead of stopping the illegal actions of the NGO`s from Tbilisi, like "Free zone" and other cities, clearly provoking the aggravation of the situation, the Georgian authorities have launched anti-Russian hysteria, accusing it of transferring border markers deep into the Georgian territory.
The South Ossetian side has repeatedly stated that Russian border guards, controlling the protection of the state border of South Ossetia, in accordance with the bilateral agreement, are not engaged in demarcation and delimitation of the state border. All work to set up border markers, as well as the relevant engineering structures is carried out by the South Ossetian border agency. Any claims against Russia are farfetched, unfounded and politically engaged.
Instead of conducting a real dialogue with South Ossetia, the authorities of which have repeatedly offered to start joint work on delimitation and demarcation of the state border, the official Tbilisi continues to "ignore" the existing realities, throwing accusations against Russia and appealing to its Western patrons.
In general, the hysteria that has broken out again in Georgia with regard to the boundary can be described as another "summer aggravation" disease. Similar actions involving "broad international attention" and accompanied by various bacchanalia, were held in previous years along the border - in the area of the villages Dietz, Dwan, Goget.
The South Ossetian side believes that all disputes and misunderstandings on the border issue must be resolved peacefully and should be businesslike within the existing formats of communication. We have informed the international mediators at the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia, and offered to hold an extraordinary meeting of the Mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents, the mandate of which includes issues related to security and tranquility in the areas adjacent to the border.

Students of the South Ossetian State University took part in the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum "Tarida - 2015", which started on July 2 on the Black Sea coast of the Republic of Crimea.
As reported to the news agency "Res" by the Head of Delegation Bela Mamieva, the organizers of the trip were South Ossetian State University and the Committee on Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism of South Ossetia.
"The first part of the forum was devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory, - said Mamieva. – The Forum included an interesting and varied educational program, lectures, seminars and workshops, documentary films. For the participants of the Forum were organized meetings with Russian politicians, historians, journalists and cultural figures."
According to Mamieva, as part of the forum were also shown films about the tragedy in Beslan and South Ossetia, revealing the work of journalists in "hot spots".
In addition to the educational part the Forum has included sports crossfit competition, where our students Alan Gagloev, Rodion Dzhioev and Albert Gabatty ranked first.
At the gala concert "Taurida - 2015" our students Tatiana Tedeeva and Zarina Kokoeva also have shown their best.
The students have expressed their gratitude to the rector of the South Ossetian State University Vadim Tedeev and the Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism Sergey Zasseev for their assistance in organization and the opportunity to participate in the National Youth Educational Forum "Taurida - 2015".
The organizers of the event are the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, Rospatriottsentr Rosmolodёzh, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and the Commission for supporting youth initiatives of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

The head of South Ossetian delegation in the format of mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents (IPRM) Khokh Gagloyty sent a letter to the head of the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Kestutis Jankauskas, with the opinion on the necessity to hold an extraordinary meeting of the IPRM,
According to the official website of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of the RSO for post-conflict settlement, the letter reads in particular:
"I hasten to bring to you my opinion on the necessity to hold an extraordinary meeting in the format of MPRI as soon as possible, on the occasion of hideous acts of provocation, which, I guess, you know in detail, taking place in some sections of the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia, in the area adjacent to the South Ossetian village of Orchosan.
Taking into account the fact of constant stage-managed provocations, South Ossetian, delegation in the format of IPRM believes that everything possible must be done not to aggravate the situation, in order to preserve peace and stability in the region."

South Ossetia is celebrating one of the most significant dates in modern history – the bringing of Mixed Peacekeeping Forces into the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.
The event began with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the Memorial Cross next to the burned-out building that housed the barracks of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in 2008. Flowers and wreaths were laid at the monument to the Hero of Russia, Major Denis Vetchinov, killed in South Ossetia in the battle to repel the August aggression, as well as at the monument to the fallen peacekeepers in the territory of the FSB Border Control Agency of the Russian Federation in South Ossetia.
The ceremony of laying flowers and wreaths was attended by President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov, Speaker of the Parliament Anatoly Bibilov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to South Ossetia Elbrus Kargiev, members of the government, the leadership and the military personnel of the base, the former soldiers, participants in the events of 08.08.08, representatives of scientific intelligentsia and the public.
23 years ago, July 14, 1992 the peacekeeping forces entered into the territory of South Ossetia.
Then thousands of civilians had already become the victims of three years of Georgian aggression against South Ossetia, more than a hundred Ossetian villages were burned, more than 100 thousand Ossetians were expelled from their homes.
Peacekeepers, who managed to maintain peace for 16 years in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict before August 2008, were among the first attacked by Georgian troops invaded South Ossetia.
To rescue its peacekeepers and aid the people of South Ossetia, Russia conducted a military operation to force Georgia to peace.
August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia, and the mission of the Mixed Peacekeeping Forces was completed.
The peacekeepers Mission was continued by Russian servicemen and border guards.
In accordance with the Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, signed September 17, 2008 and the Agreement on joint efforts to protect the state border, April 30, 2009 in South Ossetia was formed the 4th Russian military base and the FSB Border Control Agency of the Russian Federation in South Ossetia.

July 11, 2015 the Georgian media disseminated information of the analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry.
The main essence of common materials is that the South Ossetian border guard units in the statement called as "the Russian occupation forces," supposedly set up border markers beyond the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia.
In this particular case we are talking about the sections of the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia, located to the south of the South Ossetian villages of Tsinagar an Orchosan.

The situation was commented by the head of the South Ossetian delegation in the format of IPRM Khokh Gagloyty:
"We inform you that in this area South Ossetian border guard units carried out the planned work to set up border markers of the Republic of South Ossetia, on its own territory of South Ossetia, at a distance of 50 m. to the state border of South Ossetia. In some cases were carried out the works on replacement of boundary markers, previously damaged by unidentified persons.

These activities were presented to the analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry, jointly with the special representative of the Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Abashidze, to the Georgian information space as the "shift of the Tskhinvali occupation line a few hundred meters into the territory of Georgia."

Thus, in determining of this "problem" in the statement of the Interior Ministry of Georgia there are such words as "the territory adjacent to the village of Tsitelubani in Gori district," etc.

Leaving aside questions of competent presentation of issues in a freestyle geographical manner, apparently, it would be appropriate to note that with the same success the Georgian representatives may designate Trabzon area adjacent to the Georgian town of Poti.

In this case, it is useful to remind that the South Ossetian side has proposed to start the joint work of the commission on delimitation and demarcation of the border.

As the head of the South Ossetian delegation in the IPRM format, I announce that none of the border markers along the perimeter of the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia is outside the sovereign territory of South Ossetia.
Inflated informational hysteria by Georgian representatives on the fact of planned works carried out along the border of South Ossetia by the border guard units can be characterized as a vulgar provocation of the Georgian authorities.
"Anxiety" of some persons from the Tbilisi political and administrative establishment on functioning of the international section of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline, which runs through the territory of South Ossetia, looks far-fetched. The "suggestions" about an alternative route, obviously with facile possibilities of drawing funds from foreign sources, cause ironical smile.

The section of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline through the territory of South Ossetia is functioning in proper working way. If you have questions to the service of the Baku-Supsa pipeline, the company operator BP may apply to the RSO, and there is no doubt that that it will be done everything for its full operation.

In the final part of this statement, estimating the analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry, it is worth noting that, if it could be find some logical explanation for the previous information show, it is hard to find any reasonable explanation for the current information dance, arranged by the analytical department of the Georgian Interior Ministry.

I would also like to express a firm reliance that the accredited diplomatic corps in Georgia will not perceive the propaganda interpretation of the Georgian authorities, but opted for a competent and qualified study of the issue. "

In Tskhinval was held a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia and Inter-parliamentary Relations.
As the news agency "Res" has been informed by the information-analytical department of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia, the meeting was chaired by the Committee Chairman Igor Kochiev.

There were two basic questions on the agenda:
The draft Agreement on Cooperation between the Parliament of South Ossetia and the People's Assembly- the Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia;
To set up a permanent Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the Parliament of South Ossetia and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

According to Igor Kochiev, between South Ossetia and Abkhazia there are historically established friendly relations in many spheres, including in the sphere of inter-parliamentary activities. After the signing of the agreement inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries will come to a new level and become more systematic.

MP Alexander Pliev has stressed the need for the agreement to establish further cooperation between the parliaments of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The deputy Olesya Kochieva has noted that the agreement should be of specific nature and cooperation between the legislators of the two republics should be fruitful, including through the regular exchange of experience in legislative work.

Following the discussion, the Committee members unanimously supported the decision to submit the draft agreement to the Presidium of Parliament.
As regards the second question on the agenda, Igor Kochiev has noted that in 2013 between the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Parliament of South Ossetia was signed a cooperation agreement. To date, there is a question on the formation of a permanent commission for cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries for closer cooperation.

During the meeting it was proposed to introduce into the commission the following deputies - Igor Kochiev, Olesya Kochieva, Amiran Dyakonov, Dmitry Parastaev and Gennady Bekoev.
It was stressed that the commission will include members from all four parliamentary parties.

June 30 - July 1, 2015 In Geneva was held the 32nd round of international discussions on security in Transcaucasia, attended by delegations of the Republic of South Ossetia, the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation, the United States, as well as the EU, UN and OSCE representatives. South Ossetian delegation was headed by Presidential Envoy for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev.
Two working groups were discussing humanitarian and security issues. The working group on security, in accordance with the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement, focused on the non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as to ensure security and stability in the region.
The South Ossetian delegation reiterated its call for revitalization of the work on a legally binding bilateral agreement on the non-use of force, which would have solid international guarantees.
There was continued the expert work on harmonization of the text of the joint statement on the commitment to the principle of non-use of force.
South Ossetian participants have rejected the attempts of the Georgian delegation to link the discussion of security issues in the region with South Ossetian-Russian bilateral relations, stressing that the South Ossetian-Russian relations are developing exclusively on the basis of international law and fully comply with the interests of security and peace in the region.
Discussing the issues of stability and security in the area of the South Ossetian-Georgian border, the participants noted the lack of serious incidents and the relative stability of the situation.
At the same time it was considered the destabilizing course of activities of the Georgian side to damage the South Ossetian border signs, intentional violation of the state border, buildup of informational tension around the boundary issue and points of intersection.
South Ossetian representatives reiterated the proposal of the authorities of South Ossetia to begin a bilateral joint work on delimitation and demarcation of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia.
The panelists noted the usefulness and feasibility of continuing of the Mechanism for preventing and responding to incidents in the area of South Ossetian-Georgian border, acting in the framework of the Geneva discussions.
The representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have expressed great concern for stability and security in the region in relation to new steps of integration of Georgia with NATO military bloc and the creation of the NATO infrastructure on the territory of Georgia.
The rapprochement between Georgia and NATO cannot but cause concern on the background of persistent refusal by the Georgian authorities to sign with South Ossetia and Abkhazia the documents on non-use of force and the persistent claims of Georgia to the territory of sovereign states - the republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Absolutely destructive, biased and tendentious move was regarded the report on "violation" of human rights in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, submitted by Georgia to the OSCE. It is obvious, this political provocation was planned in order to distort the two countries, trying to achieve their international isolation.
Due to the fact that Georgia has once again railroaded through the UN General Assembly a resolution on refugees, South Ossetian and Abkhaz participants in the Geneva discussions considered it impossible to participate in the discussion of this issue in Geneva.
In the joint statement released by the South Ossetian and Abkhaz participants have noted that the resumption of the discussion of the refugee problem will be possible in case of refusal of Georgia from the artificial politicization of this issue.
South Ossetian and Abkhaz participants pointed to the absolute unacceptability of acts of Georgia and its European partners to take all measures in order to prevent the participation of football teams of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in the European Championship ConIFA in Hungary.
It has taken a thorough discussion of humanitarian issues, in particular, to address the issue of the missing persons and residents of South Ossetia illegally convicted in Georgia.
The South Ossetian delegation reiterated the proposal of the President Leonid Tibilov to consider the question of mutual release of the convicted citizens of South Ossetia and Georgia, and received assurances that the Georgian authorities would react responsibly to clarify the fate of the missing persons.
South Ossetian participants again raised the question of the return of cultural treasures by Georgia. They presented materials on the unique icon-triptych, stolen from the South Ossetia museum and now being in Georgia.
At the end of the round were briefly summed up its results.
The next meeting in Geneva is scheduled for October 2015.
Geneva, July 2, 2015

For several, the UN General Assembly adopts the draft resolution introduced by Georgia on refugees and displaced persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Repeating each year the text of the document, Georgia is trying to impose on the world community one-sided, politicized and distorted vision of the refugee problem, in order to reinforce its illegitimate territorial claims.
The UNGA draft resolution on refugees and displaced persons tabled in June 2015 by Georgia, the text of which does not differ from the earlier adopted resolutions of the UN General Assembly, refers to the confirmation of the right of all displaced persons and refugees and their descendants to return "to their homes throughout Georgia including Abkhazia and South Ossetia."

The text of the resolution imposed to the international community passes over in silence that the appearance of these refugees and displaced persons is directly connected with the war unleashed by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. There is not also mentioned, that of more than one hundred thousand Ossetians fleeing from ethnic cleansing on the Georgian territory and found refuge in South Ossetia and the Russian Federation, only few managed to return home.

The text of the resolution is silent, that the governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on their own initiative returned to their homes tens of thousands of Georgian refugees. The text of the resolution submitted by Georgia does not take into account the existing political realities, in particular, the fact that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are independent states, but also demonstrates that Georgia is not going to find a solution of complex humanitarian issues.

It is obvious that the resolution railroading by Georgia from year to year, cannot improve the situation on refugees from Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and also adversely affects the course of the Geneva discussions, which remain the only platform where representatives of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia have the opportunity to discuss a wide range of existing problems, including the problem of refugees and displaced persons.

The main key to the solution of the refugee problem is not diplomatic tricks and resolutions designed for propaganda effect, but non-confrontation and the signing of a legally binding agreement on non- use of force, and ultimately - the peace treaty between Georgia Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Politicization of the refugee problem by Georgia undermines the work to discuss this issue in the framework of the Geneva talks. As Georgia prefers to discuss issues related to the situation of refugees and displaced persons in such an authoritative international body like the UN General Assembly, South Ossetia and Abkhazia insist on their right to participate in the discussion of this issue in the United Nations. As long as are continued political games around the refugee problem behind Abkhazia and South Ossetia, there will be not meaning to discuss this issue within the framework of the Geneva talks.