The head of the State Committee for Information and Press of South Ossetia, Maria Kotaeva, summed up the results of the past week at a briefing at the Sputnik-South Ossetia press center, and also spoke about the significant events planned for the near future.
According to Maria Kotaeva, the outgoing week was remembered by the artificially raised noise around the arrest of the Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who had illegally crossed the border of South Ossetia from Georgia.
“Everyone, from the Georgian patriarch Elijah 2 to the American embassy, came forward with demands to release the Georgian doctor,” she said. - It is noteworthy that each of these speakers uses the word “immediately” in his statements. Neither Georgian politicians nor Western diplomats have mastered that they are not in the position to demand that South Ossetia fulfill their whims and at the same time immediately. And upbringing and the real state of affairs involves only polite requests, but not requirements at all. It probably makes no sense to explain to Georgian politicians and their American colleagues that Dr. Vazha couldn’t just go from Tbilisi to a patient in South Ossetia just like that, unless he’s the hero of Chukovsky’s fairy tale “Aibolit,” which could ride a wolf to sick patients in Africa. "
According to Kotaeva, it does not matter who crossed the border of South Ossetia - a doctor, a ballerina or a tractor driver.
“For us, they are primarily violators of the state border, who defiantly neglect the laws of South Ossetia. I can’t recall the same commotion of representatives of international organizations when South Ossetian citizens spent the best years in the dungeons of Georgian prisons on far-fetched charges,” the Committee Chairman stressed. “This situation was also discussed at a meeting between the President of the Republic and the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions, during which Bibilov made it clear that “the Georgian side would not have committed provocations bypassing the positions of European colleagues.” Despite attempts to move the arrest of Gaprindashvili into the political plane, the issue of imprisonment of border violators concerns purely the security organs of South Ossetia and no one else."
The beginning of the German-Ossetian friendship
Over the past period, Kotaeva has added, there is also good news.
“Thus, Foreign Minister Dmitry Medoev and deputy of the regional Parliament of Berlin, Gunnar Lindemann, laid the foundation for German-Ossetian friendship. In Berlin, where Gunnar Lindemann invited Medoev, the constituent assembly of the German-Ossetian friendship club was held,” said Kotaeva. “Medoev visited the regional parliament of Berlin, where he held a number of meetings with representatives of the parliament parties, and also attended the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.”
Maria Kotaeva has emphasized that similar friendship bridges with the participation of the head of the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry appeared in Italy.
“In particular, in Milan and Naples, they are interested in friendship with South Ossetia, and in establishing cultural ties. A representative office of South Ossetia already exists in Italy. And the victory of South Ossetian musicians in Italian San Marino, who became laureates of the first degree, among dozens of participants from around the world and received an invitation to participate in the festival from the mayor of the Italian city of Granada, can be considered the results of this friendship,” she said.
Political disagreements, according to Kotaeva, should not interfere with the establishment of simple human relations at the level of civil society and public organizations.
“In addition, the Foreign Minister established contacts with the well-known Italian lawyers who, after studying historical materials relating to the events of the 1920s and analyzing the legal framework, will be able to prepare supporting documents for the lawsuit,” the Committee Chairman said.
The events for the 100th anniversary of the Ossetian people’s genocide
According to Kotaeva, the government commission of South Ossetia is preparing a plan of events dedicated to the memory of the 100th anniversary of the genocide.
“In 2020, large-scale events are envisaged, involving the Ossetian diasporas and national communities, in order to convey to the world community, the evidence of the brutal extermination of Ossetians in the south,” the Committee Chairman said. “Throughout 2020, are planned scientific conferences, lectures in educational institutions, the development of a bill on criminal liability for the denial of genocide, the organization of art exhibitions, a requiem concert with the participation of South Ossetian musicians, and the presentation of information to the international community about the genocide of the Ossetian people in 1920.”
The head of the Committee has added that the commission is called upon to preserve historical evidence of genocide for future generations.
“A contest for a memorial complex will be announced among the artists of South Ossetia,” added Maria Kotaeva.
Professional holiday of police officers
She has added that this month, employees of law enforcement bodies and police veterans celebrated their professional holiday.
“Law enforcers protect public order. To date, 1,150 citizens are serving in the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The head of the Republic congratulated the head and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on their professional holiday and presented 43 service vehicles to the agency, ”Kotaeva said.
Medical supplies for hospitals
The Chairman of the Committee has also reminded that the South Ossetian government approved the project. state budget for next year.
“The budget is socially oriented. So, it is planned to increase spending on the purchase of medicines by 10 million. That is, it is planned to allocate 182 million rubles for the provision of medicines to hospitals and preferential categories of citizens. We hope that this will resolve the issue of drug shortages in the South Ossetian hospital, which both doctors and patients are talking about,” she said.
Maria Kotaeva has emphasized that next year, financial assistance to Russia will exceed six billion rubles.
“It is also expected to increase the cost of purchasing medicines,” she concluded.
