Georgian armed forces continue organizing provocations in the bordering area. Today, at 17:10, two Toyota trucks carrying 10-12 people entered the vicinity of the village of Koshki. They opened fire on the village of Disev on the territory of South Ossetia. This incident has been reported by the RSO MoD.
On 23 January, after a six-month suspension, the supply of Russian gas to South Ossetia through Georgia resumed. The authorities of the Republic of South Ossetia confirmed that the Agara-Tskhinval gas pipeline started working in its routine regime. Under grave winter conditions, when rehabilitation works are ongoing in South Ossetia to reconstruct social and economic infrastructure ruined during the August 2008 hostilities, the population of the Republic critically need energy supply from Russia.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (hereafter, the "Sides"), based upon the Agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation of 17 September 2008, agreed on the following:
1. The Parties shall strive for mutually beneficial relations in different spheres of international cooperation.
On 19 January 1992, the Referendum of the Republic of South Ossetia on independence and unfification with Russia had shown «the legal validity of democratic changes implemented by thge Republic"s Supreme Soviet and Government based on strict adherence to norms of international law and frames for managing national and political tasks» (extract from the Statement of the RSO Central Election Commission).
Yuri Dzitsoity, Vice-Speaker of the RSO Parliament: We are celebrating the 17th Anniversary of the Referendum already in a recognized state. We should bear in mind that this Referendum was held right after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in full accordance with adopted Soviet Union Law on «Procedure for secession of Union Republics», which envisaged referendum in the breakaway Republic. It is worth mentioning that the Law provided procedures for the case when the Republic had its autonomous entities.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of RSO Murat Djioev is meeting with the RF Foreigm Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday, 20 January. «RSO Foreign Minister Murat Djioev is having a formal working meeting with Foreign Minister of the RF Sergei Lavrov. The South Ossetian delegation also includes Special Representative of the RSO President on post-conflict issues Boris Chochiev», said Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Pliev.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Ossetia Dmitri Medoev presented his credentials to the President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev. According to RSO Foreign Minister Murat Djioev, «this is a crucial moment in the diplomatic life of the Republic of South Ossetia».
«Taking into consideration the biased approach, mistakes and even negligence committed by OSCE representatives, we feel no particular confidence in this international organization», stated the President of RSO Eduard Kokoity at 14 January press-conference summing up the results of the Y2008. «The OSCE showed its activeness and initiative to help us in resuming gas supply to the Republic. If they manage to solve the problem, we would appreciate it. Therefore, if the OSCE have understood their mistakes and negligence, we should continue our contacts with them.
«The Georgian authorities had received and are receiving substantial support from the United States, including assistance weapons and trainings provided to the Georgian armed forces to increase their military capacities», stated the RSO Foreign Minister commenting on the signing of the Georgian-U.S. Charter on Strategic Partnership.
The U.S. as well as Georgia are responsible for the August 2008 events in South Ossetia, stated the President of RSO Eduard Kokoity at the press-conference to brief on the results of the Y2008. Having commented on the signing of US.-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, the President stressed that “the U.S. together with the NATO member states are responsible for escalation of tensions and organization of aggression against South Ossetia, but nonetheless, the U.S. had not learnt any lesson”.
The President of RSO Eduard Kokoity met the OSCE delegation consisting of Special Representative of the Chairman-in-Office (CiOSR) Ambassador Charalampos Christopoulos, CiOSR Adviser Alexis Katsareas, OSCE Secretariat Representative Peter Svedberg and Energy Expert Werner Johannides. The South Ossetian side was represented by the Deputy Prime-Minister Khasan Pliev, Foreign Minister Djioev Murat and Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Pliev. The meeting focused on issues related to resumption of Russian gas supply to South Ossetia through the territory of Georgia.