On commenting the statement of Slovenia Foreign Minister Dmitry Rupel (“There is no liaison between Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia”) the Deputy Prime Minister of RSO who is also the Head of South Ossetian part of Joint Control Commission on Georgian-Ossetian conflict settlement Boris Chochiev made a statement: “Indeed Kosovo has nothing in common with South Ossetia neither from political nor legal point of view. The facts confirming the accuracy of political and legal reasoning of RSO independence are more than enough. Kosovo longs for separation without permission from already recognized Serb State, whereas South Ossetia, became a part of Georgian SSR (within USSR) only in 1922, and de jure withdrew from Republic of Georgia in 1990 in accordance with Georgia Supreme Soviet regulation, claimed illegal and unlawful all the legislations, adopted after 25 February 1921 in Georgia and regarding to Georgia.”
He remembered “the independence of Kosovo is the material of foreign countries armed aggression against sovereign state and violates all the laws of Serbia and international legal and juridical texts, its achievement entailed in the territory mass ethnic cleansings towards non-albanians, while the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia is based on definitely adherence of all the working at the moment of its declaration acts of USSR, the standards of international law and permanent respect for human rights irrespective of nationality and religion”.
“Why can one recognize the independence of Kosovo and ignore the independence of South Ossetia? All the western politicians who are shouting to the whole world of the independence of Kosovo, trying to convince it, that the same approach must not be applied towards South Ossetia, but never even tried (as it is not possible) to argue their position from point of view of international law” – noted Boris Chochiev.
In the conclusion he said “For some incomprehensible reason they forget such a substantive fact, first of all, withdrawal of South Ossetia from Republic of Georgia is of all proportion to requirements of USSR Constitution, USSR Law “of the regulation of resolution of questions pertaining to withdrawal of union republic from USSR” and others. South Ossetia proclaimed its independence, when Georgia was not recognized state yet; its borders were recognized only after the event, with virtual including of territories not belonging to it. Have scrutinized the standards of international law, we are sure that recognition of Kosovo independence will deprive of the last vague argument of the opponents of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia”.
