ИА Рес

The question of accession of South Ossetia today is not on the foreign policy agenda of Russia. This was stated in an interview with TASS by Russian Ambassador to South Ossetia Elbrus Kargiev.
According to him, the referendum, which may be held by the decision of the Republican authorities - "is absolutely domestic affair." "Therefore, we, of course, refrain from comments and appraisals," - said the ambassador.
The question of the real accession of South Ossetia to Russia "is is a two-way process." "This question is not today on the agenda of our foreign policy, - said Kargiev. Our position is that we recognized South Ossetia as an independent sovereign state in 2008".
Earlier it has been reported that in 2017 in South Ossetia may be held a referendum on the accession of South Ossetia to the Russian Federation. The question of changing the constitution of South Ossetia may be put to the vote, which will allow in the future to appeal to the leadership of Russia with a request for accession.
Elbrus Kargiev has stressed that the signing of additional agreements to the Treaty of Alliance and Integration between South Ossetia and Russia can be expected in the coming weeks.
According to him, recently in Tskhinval representatives of the relevant Russian and South Ossetian authorities have discussed this question.
"As we have been assured by representatives of the partner organizations of the two countries, we are no longer talking about months, but weeks, - he said -. Therefore, it is necessary to wait for the signing in the near future."
According to Kargiev, it is expected that there will be prescribed that certain South Ossetian servicemen will be taken into service, particularly in the 4 th military base stationed in the Republic. Part of the South Ossetian servicemen will remain at the Defense Ministry of the Republic and will form the basis of the South Ossetian army, which will also be preserved.
According to the diplomat, the issues related to the format of service of the South Ossetian servicemen will be described in detail in the relevant agreement.
"So today it is difficult to speak on the specific parameters - he said -. When it is signed, then it will be easier to comment on."
At the same time, the ambassador has noted that a small group of South Ossetian servicemen has already been presented at the 4th military base of the Russian Federation.
"I can say that at the fourth military base was formed a special unit of the residents of South Ossetia, which have Russian citizenship and the percentage of such residents is high, - said Kargiev. A supplementary agreement provides for that the interconnection between the two law enforcement agencies will be arranged on a new basis, despite the fact that the Defense Ministry of South Ossetia will be functioning. "
March 18, 2015 the presidents of Russia and South Ossetia signed the Treaty of Alliance and the Integration for 25 years with the possibility of extension. The document provides for the formation of the defense and security common space, free crossing of the border and other aspects of integration. The Treaty is the basis for the gradual establishment of closer cooperation between Russia and South Ossetia in socio- economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as in matters of foreign policy, defense and security, while maintaining the state sovereignty of the Republic.
The population of South Ossetia is grateful to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for its work on mine clearing.
The Ambassador has reminded that the current program is designed for two and a half months. The parties have chosen the area, where there were the most active hostilities.
"The problem is that undermining in those difficult, troubled years was haphazard, unplanned, and this fact impedes the work of our specialists, who arrived in South Ossetia", - the diplomat said.
The Ambassador pointed out that it "is not a comprehensive program - to demine the whole territory. There are not simply efforts or resources and, most importantly, there is no understanding how to solve the problem technically." "But we will demine the most dense areas and thereby we will significantly improve the situation", - added Kargiev.
The specialists of Russian EMERCOM have started demining the territory of South Ossetia on June 7.

12 July at 16: 00 with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of South Ossetia Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RSO and the Embassy of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Russian Federation in the foyer of the State concert hall "Chermen" will be held the opening ceremony of photo exhibition "In search of Farn: South Ossetia, Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela".

In the framework of the exhibition will be presented the works that demonstrate the natural beauty of the protected areas of South Ossetia, Peru, Nicaragua and Venezuela, the diversity of civilizations of South American and Eurasian continents, majesty and unity of the spiritual world.

The President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov in the framework of the working visit to Moscow met with the head of the Federal security service of the Russian Federation, army General Alexander Bortnikov, reported to IA "RES" the press Secretary of the President Ghana Yanovskaya.
"During the meeting they discussed issues of cooperation, security of States. In particular, the implementation of the Treaty of Alliance and Integration, signed March, 18, 2015, security and border control," - said Yanovskaya

The President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov in the framework of the working visit to Moscow held a meeting with the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Commission for socio-economic cooperation between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin and the Minister for North Caucasus Affairs Lev Kuznetsov.
According to the press Secretary of the President of South Ossetia Ghana Yanovskaya,
At the meeting were discussed issues of further cooperation and economic support of the Russian Federation to the Republic of South Ossetia.
"In addition to the main questions of the agenda of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, which is taking place these days in Moscow, during the meeting of the President and the Russian colleagues were discussed issues, which had been raised at the meetings with the top leadership of Russia. In particular, the issues of lending to small and medium-sized business in the Republic of South Ossetia", - concluded Yanovskaya.

June 28, 2016 on the South Ossetian-Georgian state border, near the village of Ergneti will be held the 67th meeting of Mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents (IPRM).
The meeting will be held with the participation of delegations of South Ossetia, Georgia, Russia, as well as representatives of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and the OSCE. As reported by the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of South Ossetia, in the course of the meeting will be discussed issues related to the current situation in the areas adjacent to the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia. The South Ossetian party will raise the issues related to the frequent violations of the state border of South Ossetia.
The delegation of the Republic of South Ossetia is led by the State Advisor to the President of the Republic of South Ossetia David Sanakoev.

A group of experts of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, which will be engaged in demining the territory of South Ossetia has arrived today in South Ossetia.

This was announced by the Minister of emergency situations of South Ossetia Sergey Sanakoev.

According to Sergey Sanakoev, this issue for the leadership of the Republic always was among the priorities.
"In our territory there are still unexploded shells since the first war in 1992, as well as the traces of the terrible August war in South Ossetia. The issue of demining of our territory was repeatedly discussed at the highest levels. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov discussed this issue at the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin," – said Sanakoev.

According to him, on the basis of these agreements, with the full support of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and the joint work of EMERCOM of South Ossetia and the Russian Ministry of Emergencies, today in South Ossetia has arrived a group of experts of EMERCOM of the Russian Federation, which will address this important issue. We will be working together.
"Even today, the group has started to work. The experts went to the villages of Pris and Ered in Tskhinval district of the Republic. The experts plan to work within 80 days; this is only the first stage, as there will be a great deal of work. The sappers of EMERCOM of our Republic will be destructing the unexploded shells," concluded Sanakoev.

Following the results of the meeting of the Political Council under the President of the RSO, President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov and Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov signed a statement to hold a referendum on accessing South Ossetia to the Russian Federation in 2017.
"Guided by the long-term interests of the South Ossetian people, and trying to ensure the stability of the socio-political situation in the Republic of South Ossetia, May 26, 2016 we made the joint statement to support the decision of the Political Council under the President of the Republic of South Ossetia on the feasibility of holding a referendum on accessing the Republic of South Ossetia to the Russian Federation in 2017, after the election of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia ", - is stated in the statement.

May 23, 2016 the delegation of Co-Chairs of the Geneva international discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia will arrive in the Republic of South Ossetia.

As reported by the Office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of South Ossetia, as part of the visit will be held a meeting with members of the South Ossetian delegation at the Geneva talks, during which will be discussed preparations for the next round of discussions scheduled for June, 2016.

May 11 in Moscow took place the meeting of the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of South Ossetia Murat Tskhovrebov with the head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia Andrei Belyaninov. During the meeting it was discussed the mechanism of implementation of the Treaty of Alliance and Integration between South Ossetia and Russia regarding the integration of the customs authorities. The corresponding supplementary agreement was signed by the parties April 25, 2016.
According to Murat Tskhovrebov, the meeting was held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. The parties have agreed to proceed with the implementation of the additional agreementand to form a joint working group that will coordinate the practical implementation of measures to implement the agreement and to solve the arising problems. On the proposal of the Russian partners the meetings of the working group will also be conducted in the videoconference format. The parties also discussed the issues of information exchange between the customs authorities of South Ossetia and Russia, as well as cooperation in the field of logistics.
In an interview with the journalists of IA "Res" Murat Tskhovrebov has noted that thanks to the policy of President Leonid Tibilov the interaction of South Ossetia and Russia in the field of customs has reached a new level: "In the format of a joint working group, we will be able to quickly solve all the issues that may arise in the implementation of the signed agreement. With the development of bilateral co-operation in South Ossetia will be modernized the material-technical resources of the South Ossetian customs authorities, and will be improved the skill level of our employees. I am pleased to say that we have met full understanding and support of Andrei Belianinov. "
According to the head of the South Ossetian customs authorities, this meeting has become an important step in the implementation of the supplementary agreement to the Treaty of Alliance and Integration, signed on March 18, 2015 by presidents Leonid Tibilov and Vladimir Putin: "In the field of customs, we, with our Russian colleagues have been consistently implementing the course, fixed in the signed agreement. It aims at the closest interaction and cooperation between South Ossetia and Russia. "

The delegation of South Ossetia took part in the ceremonies dedicated to the second anniversary of proclamation of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The delegation included the Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov, the State Adviser to the President of South Ossetia Rodion Siukaev, Deputy Head of the Presidential Executive Office Vladimir Tskhovrebov and a member of the political council of the party "United Ossetia" Igor Kozaev.
According to the State Adviser to the President of South Ossetia Rodion Siukaev, the celebrations in the country began on May 11, with a large-scale marsh of workers on the main street of Donetsk.
At a solemn meeting in the Donetsk National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after A. Solovyanenko - the culmination of the festive events, were the head of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko and the heads of delegations.
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov read out the welcome address of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov to the leadership and people of the Donetsk People's Republic:
"You are not alone in your struggle for freedom and independence. All the people of goodwill share and understand the meaning and purpose of your struggle. Our people have gone through the same hard trials on the thorny path to the recognition of our statehood. "
Zakharchenko, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the people and leadership of South Ossetia for their support.
He has stressed that the Republic of South Ossetia is the first country that has recognized the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic that is a true step of friendship and support to the brotherly people of Donetsk.
Alexander Zakharchenko issued a decree to award the "Order of Friendship" of the Donetsk People's Republic to the President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov.
Zakharchenko has also presented the appropriate awards to all members of the South Ossetian delegation.
The event has ended with a festive concert, which was also attended by the South Ossetian artists- the children's ensemble "Scythians" by the Lyceum of Arts.
During the visit to the DPR representatives of the Presidential Executive Office of South Ossetia Rodion Siukaev and Vladimir Tskhovrebov held several meetings with Minister of Economy of the Donetsk People's Republic Victoria Romaniuk and the Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova.
According to Rodion Siukaev, in the course of the meeting with Viktor Romaniuk were discussed the issues of economic cooperation between the two republics.
"With the Foreign Minister we have discussed further cooperation with the Donetsk People's Republic to prepare an agreement on friendship and cooperation, which will bring the interaction of Donetsk and South Ossetia to a qualitatively new level", - added Siukaev.
The festive events were also attended by delegation, of Russia, the Republic of Abkhazia, the Luhansk People's Republic.