Alan Pliev, the deputy minister of foreign affairs of South Ossetia Republic:
The expected recognition of Kosovo, undoubtedly, will expedite the inevitable recognition of South Ossetia and other countries, which have declared themselves independent, despite of the obligatory in this case clauses of the Euro structures and the USA about the unique situation, which cannot become the precedent. However for South Ossetia fortunately even the negative result with an autonomous region in any way cannot become a handicap on the way to valuable independence .The ossetians have much more bases for this purpose at both in political, in legal, and in the historical plan, than the Kosovan Albanians. The main reason of the West is that there in Kosovo has been prevented the genocide, and with this purpose the direct government of the international structures has been entered. The south ossetians for a rather short period were twice exposed to genocide, we, unlike the Albanians, are historically the successors of that territory, on which we at present live. Only during the Soviet period -some decades at all- South Ossetia, despite of the different opinion of its people, has been included into the structure of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. South Ossetia twice by the overwhelming majority of the population has supported the independence and the international recognition of the republic.
Batradz Kharebov, the head of the information-analytical service of the Parliament of South Ossetia Republic:
Here all or nearly all will depend on the position of Russia. Russia itself in the given question has appeared to be in a difficult position. On the one hand, it is the unique country of the contact group, that supports Serbia, and namely Russia, again in singular, can use the right of veto at Security Council of UN at decision-making under the status of Kosovo. The minister of Defence Sergey Ivanov was quite frank in the given question, when on February, 9th in Seville at the meeting with the management of NATO has warned them, that, having recognized Kosovo, they will open the «box of Pandora», i.e. the chain reaction will begin and the other \"unrecognized\" territories will also demand independence, and not only on the post Soviet space. But Russia has certain obligations towards the same Abkhazia, Pridnestrovye and South Ossetia, at least in the way of protection of the interests of the citizens of Russia, which already make the overwhelming majority of citizens of these republics. The president of the Russian Federation has already repeatedly declared that the Kosovan precedent should have a universal character, i.e. should extend on the others. «If someone considers, that Kosovo is possible to give full state independence, then why should we refuse the Abkhazians and the south Ossetians in it? », he asks.
But this approach is categorically inadmissible by the European Union and the USA, which have rested on the uniqueness of the situation in Kosovo and insist on an individual approach to each of the \"unrecognized\" republics. Now an enormous pressure is put upon Russia, so that to make it more compliant in connection with Kosovo. And already in March the Security Council of the United Nations despite of the protests of one of the interested parties, namely - Serbia, will try to accept the so-called «plan of Akhtisaari», according to which Kosovo actually becomes independent. And then Moscow should show the same firmness and vigour, which its partners of the contact group demonstrate and at least to go on recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It will be a clear and politically justified course.
Irina Kadzhaeva, the political scientist:
The international community will most likely recognize the independence of Kosovo, and very few doubts that it will happen. Though the nationalists, who won the parliamentary elections in Serbia, confirm that they will stand for the territorial integrity of the country up to the end, it is obvious, that the actual independence of Kosovo of Serbia will be legally issued in the nearest future. This important in the world practice event cannot help reflecting the destiny of the unrecognized republics.
The western politicians do not cease declaring, that the Kosovan script is unique and cannot become the precedent. The Russian politicians in opposite, promise to use the forthcoming recognition of Kosovo at defining the status of Abkhazia, Pridnestrovye and South Ossetia.
Concerning South Ossetia Republic in particular, it is possible to tell with confidence that the situations around Kosovo and South Ossetia have much in common: both here and there the states, from which both of the republics are separated, do not agree with their self-determination, both here and there the spilled blood lies between both of the people. If Kosovo will be recognized, but not Abkhazia, Pridnestrovye and South Ossetia, then, according to the president of Russia V.Putin «it will be difficult to explain to the people of these republics why they cannot find independence ».
