Over the past fifteen years, the South Ossetian-Russian relations have had a high dynamics of development of cooperation in all areas, according to the press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia on the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the state independence of the Republic by the Russian Federation.
"On August 26, South Ossetia celebrates one of the main public holidays - the Day of Recognition of the Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.
Exactly fifteen years ago, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing the independence and state sovereignty of the Republic of South Ossetia.
This day, which people of the Republic of South Ossetia had been waiting for almost 18 years, is the most important date in the recent history of South Ossetia.
As noted by the Foreign Ministry, this day, was preceded by years of hardest struggle against the Georgian aggression, coupled with acts of genocide and terror against the peaceful Ossetian population, the blockade of the capital of South Ossetia, the city of Tskhinval and districtss of the Republic.
"Thousands of citizens of South Ossetia, Ossetian and Russian peacekeepers and militias, law enforcement officers and armed forces gave their lives in the name of freedom and independence.
Tens of thousands of crippled destinies, the pain and bitterness of the loss of the loved ones, hundreds of destroyed social facilities - this is the price that the long-suffering Ossetian people had to pay, the Foreign Ministry said.
In the memory of our heroic people, who suffered the genocide of 1920, 1989-1992, 2004 and the August war of 2008 in a short historical period of time, these tragic events left the indelible mark."
The Foreign Ministry added that "the armed aggression in August 2008 clearly showed that even in the third millennium, Georgian nationalism, elevated to the rank of state policy, backed up by caveman slogans about the superiority of one nation over others, has not gone anywhere, and the Georgian leaders continue to think in terms of the wild Middle Ages, using barbaric methods to achieve their ambitions".
"It's amazing, but the attack on South Ossetia was marked in Georgia by truly nationwide rejoicing, on the night of August 7-8, 2008, when hundreds of innocent people were being killed under the fire of the Georgian artillery in Tskhinval residents of Tbilisi staged mass folk festivals with music and dances.
Georgia's demonstrative act of aggression, war crimes, the death of Russian citizens and compatriots, peacekeepers, mass violations of human rights in August 2008 forced Russia to take the only right and necessary decisions of a military-political nature," the press release says.
The Ministry has added that the operation to force Georgia to peace and the recognition of the state independence of the Republic of South Ossetia was a response to the violation of the agreements reached within the internationally recognized negotiating format.
"It was the Russian Federation that was the only real guarantor of regional security, carried out a peacekeeping mission in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and stopped the unprecedented in its cruelty attempt by the Georgian leadership to completely destroy the population of South Ossetia. The entire Ossetian people will be eternally grateful to the Russian Federation and all Russians who unanimously came out in support of it," the Ministry said.
They added that "there is no doubt that August 2008 was made possible thanks to the active military support of Georgia by the 'collective West'."
“These countries still continue to support Georgia in its revanchist aspirations. They continue to try to falsify the obvious facts of recent history and apply the policy of “double standards” observed, in particular, in the actions of the ICC.
Instead of holding Georgia accountable for the war crimes committed in South Ossetia in August 2008, contrary to the documented facts, this organization completely distorts the real state of affairs, embarking on the path of bias and politicization of its actions," the Foreign Ministry said.
Over the past fifteen years, South Ossetian-Russian relations have had high dynamics in the development of cooperation in all areas, the Ministry stressed.
"The Russian Federation has been and remains a reliable ally of South Ossetia, a guarantor of peace and security in the region, and, as a responsible partner, has been fully fulfilling its obligations under bilateral documents in all areas of interaction.
In the grateful memory of the people of South Ossetia, this day will forever remain the day of greatness of spirit and fraternal solidarity of the peoples of South Ossetia and Russia, the day that brought us a great victory and the hope for peaceful development.
