Archive - 2013

Today at the border of South Ossetia the Georgian authorities have organized a protest action against the delimitation works. This time Georgian journalists have decided to protest against the legitimate and logical actions of South Ossetian authorities.
The day before, according to the Georgian media, it was stated that at the state border near the village of Mugut (Znaur district, RSO) would gather 200 journalists. The South Ossetian authorities, concerned about the possible escalation of the situation have made the statements that the action scheduled for Saturday, as well as several previous ones, threaten the stability in the entire region.
In addition, the relevant letters were sent to the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions on security in Transcaucasia and to the leadership of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia. All responsibility for possible escalation of tension the South Ossetian authorities impose on Tbilisi, as the organizer of mass hysteria around the delimitation works at the state border of South Ossetia.
The action, not so wide, but was held. About 50 people gathered three kilometers to the east of the village of Mugut. They unfurled a Georgian flag, the banner with the inscriptions "Russian occupants" and a few small posters with the similar content.
Between the boundary line and the protesters the Georgian police put up a cordon, blocking about 200-meter section of the demarcation strip. There were also observers of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia. From the South Ossetian side the situation was being observed by several journalists and two unarmed representative of the KGB. The protesters were rather reserved and did not try to get closer to the state border line.
The head of the press service of the KGB of South Ossetia Alexander Smirnov described the situation at the border as the next planned provocation
"It is the impromptu rally that supposedly symbolizes the attitude of the Georgian public to the delimitation works of South Ossetia at the state border. As always in such cases, the Georgian side has exaggerated the scale and significance of such actions – there were no more than 50 people, "- he told reporters.
At the same time, the situation is calm and under control of the South Ossetian authorities.
"The same functions are performed by the Georgian police, who ensure the people not to cross the border line," - said Smirnov.
Having stood on that section of the border about an hour, Georgian journalists went to the other – dividing the Ossetian village Mugut and the Georgian village Dhwani. The reason for the meeting was the situation here with a few houses burnt during combat operations in August 2008. These houses are not restored -the bare walls without roofs and signs of life. They are located in the 50-meter zone between the temporary demarcation structures erected in 2008, and the border line which complies with the boundary of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the Soviet Union and defined by GPS-devices. The homeowners claim that they have no alternative accommodation. They were proposed to disassemble the walls and move them into the Georgian territory, or by restoring their houses to stay and live in the territory of South Ossetia, becoming the citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia, observing the laws of South Ossetia. The residents preferred to "move."
Today the action was held without any excesses. Maybe, the journalists realized the consequences and were not involved into a reckless adventure. What will happen next time?

Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of South Ossetia for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev sent a letter to the co-chairs of the Geneva discussions, urging them to "take appropriate efforts for the scheduled September 28 action of Georgian journalists not to throw back the efforts of the Geneva discussions on maintaining and strengthening security and stability in the region.
Earlier, it was reported on the "protest action" to be held by the Georgian journalists on September 28 in the village of Dhwani in connection with delimitation works at the South Ossetian-Georgian state border.

South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov took part in the plenary session, held within the framework of the XII International Investment Forum "Sochi-2013". As reported to IA "Res" by the press secretary of the President Ghana Yanovskaya, " at the plenary session were analyzed challenges to prevent sustained economic development of the regions," - said Yanovskaya.
Leonid Tibilov has noted that they discussed the mechanisms to stimulate the activity of both domestic and foreign investors.

The delegation of South Ossetia participated in the XII International Investment Forum "Sochi-2013", which is being held in the Black Sea resort. As the press-secretary of the President of South Ossetia Ghana Yanovskaya said IA "Res", the forum had been attended by Leonid Tibilov.
The President visited the South Ossetian pavilion.
Leonid Tibilov met with Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
"During the meeting with the Russian Prime Minister were discussed the implementation of the investment program to promote socio-economic development of South Ossetia. Leonid Tibilov has stressed that in the Republic started active work in this direction," - said Yanovskaya.
In turn, Dmitry Medvedev assured Leonid Tibilov of the support of the Russian Federation.
Leonid Tibilov also met with the heads of Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as with members of other regions of Russia, presented at the forum.
Within the framework of the forum is also being held a plenary session with the participation of Leonid Tibilov.
The delegation of the Republic is taking take part in the forum for the third time. At the forum are presented the investment opportunities of the Republic, the potential size of investments in industry, tourism, agriculture and manufacturing, based on the extraction and processing of raw materials.

Comment of the Presidential Envoy of the Republic of South Ossetia for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev in connection with the forthcoming action in Georgia "Journalists against the occupation." According to the media, the action is planned to be held on September 28. Georgian journalists "are going to go to the village of Dhwani with banners to express their protest "in connection with the delimitation works at the South Ossetian –Georgian border.
This action is reminiscent of the events in November 1989, when Georgia responded to the call to conduct a "peaceful" rally in Tskhinval on November 23. That action became the beginning of the nineteen-year armed confrontation. Today such a provocation may have more unpredictable consequences, as it is a question of the frontier between the two states - the Republic of South Ossetia and Georgia, which do not have, to put it mildly, any inter-state relations.
It is an obvious provocation aimed at attracting attention of the international community to the activities carried out by the relevant services of the Republic of South Ossetia on defining the border line. I`d like to emphasize that the engineering and barrage structures are being built in the territory of South Ossetia, at a certain distance from the border line and are intended to ensure a peaceful situation on the border, prevent unintentional violations because of ignorance of the borderline.
These actions are provocative because they are directed against the "occupation," though not a single Russian soldier is in the Georgian territory. As for the Republic of South Ossetia, where Russian border guards are under a bilateral intergovernmental agreement, being an important factor in the safety of the people, then it is time to understand that South Ossetia is not part of Georgia, and has no relation to its "territorial integrity." The boundaries of the recognized state of the Republic of South Ossetia are defined in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of South Ossetia and comply with the border line of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the USSR, and cannot be modified in any way.
The South Ossetian authorities have repeatedly offered the Georgian side, including at the Geneva discussions, to start working together on the delimitation and demarcation of the border and in case of any specific issues to resolve them through negotiations. This would be in the interests of both countries, as well as in the interests of the ordinary villagers on both sides of the state border. However, the authorities of Georgia - the outgoing and the new - vying with each other, trying to outrun in the presidential race, to stir up the situation at the border, play this card to their advantage. It is in their interests, because the residents of the border areas know well the limits of their villages. These actions are conducted from Tbilisi, and maybe from far away.
Contrary to the opinion of Georgian politicians, who claim that "the border line between South Ossetia and Georgia does not exist," and their Western patrons, recommending that: "In today's world we should not build barriers," the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia is real, and it will be strengthened for security and stability in the region (and we recommend the Western patrons to visit the U.S. border with Mexico).
In areas of Georgia adjacent to South Ossetia, are EU monitors, whose function is to ensure stability and security in the region. I would like to believe that they will do their utmost to avoid provocative actions along the border.

South Ossetia will participate in the XII International Investment Forum "Sochi- 2013", which is being held in the Black Sea resort September 26 - 29. The delegation of the Republic, led by President Leonid Tibilov is taking part in the forum for the third time. As the Minister for Economic Development of South Ossetia Zalina Khugati has said the news agency "Res", participation in such events opens great prospects for the future economic development of the Republic.
"At the forum will be presented our investment opportunities. Unlike last year, we will focus not only on one object, but we`ll present all the potential size of investments in industry, tourism, agricultural sector, manufacturing, based on the extraction and processing of raw materials , "- said the Minister, noting, that in every area there are objects of national importance.
Virtually all the presentation material will be submitted in electronic format.
"In the 3D format is planned to present the entire territory of our Republic, the information will display the investment potential of all districts of the Republic." Zalina Khugati has noted that currently a lot of work is being done for the investment attractiveness of South Ossetia.
"Today we can say with confidence that in the near future will be created the legal framework that will help to protect our potential investors from various risks of loss and non-return of funds. The projects that South Ossetia presented at the forum last year, despite the pre-existing agreements with the investor have not been implemented due to unresolved issues of private ownership of land, public- private partnership, the lack of legal framework.
Now, according to the minister, the situation must change, as have been elaborated legislative acts, is being improved the legal framework.

September 23 at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies was held an international theoretical and practical conference "The geopolitical results of the "August war": lessons and challenges."
The conference was attended by the Moscow experts and guests from Ankara, Baku, Vladikavkaz, Yerevan, Kazan, Lugansk, Rostov-on -Don, Sukhum, Tbilisi, Tskhinval and Tiraspol.
The conference was opened by director of the Institute L. Reshetnikov.
The participants were addressed by the Chairman of the State Committee of Information and Press of South Ossetia Vyacheslav Gobozov and Chief of the Caucasus Research Centre for Studies in the CIS countries at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies Jana Amelina.
The speakers made the reports on various aspects of global and regional policy relating to the situation in the region five years ago, after the "August war."
Representative of the Black Sea-Caspian Regional Information and Analytical Center Popov has focused on the return of the geopolitical legal personality by Russia in August 2008. Various aspects of the geopolitical situation in the Caucasus, 5 years after the war were the subjects of the reports made by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Kovalenko , Professor of the North Ossetian State University Dudayti, a political scientist Zhidkov, Chairman of the Eurasian Institute (Tbilisi) Apkhaidze.
Associate Professor of the Finance University under the Government of Russia Vojko highlighted the power factor of the war in 2008, as well as the impact of the 2008 war on the situation in the North Caucasus. It was also proposed to carry out operation to force Georgia to good-neighborliness.
The report of the Head of the Center for Military Forecasting Tsyganok was devoted to the consequences of the 2008 war.
Associate Professor of the South Ossetian State University Tibilov told about the problems and prospects of the Republic of South Ossetia after the recognition.
The reports by the Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Safrastian, Associate Professors at the University of Economics and Technology in Ankara Togrul Ismail and Shaban Kardesh, Chairman of the Center for Policy Analysis of Baku Mamedov, lecturer of the Transdniestrian State University Yastrebchak , employees of the Volga Regional Information and Analytical Center Suleimanov and Ivanov, a member of the Moscow State University of Law Sergeev, General Director of the "Caucasus explorer" have focused on the echo of the "August war" in the region and in the world.

Representatives of the Serbian delegation, arrived in Tskhinval to participate in the celebration of the Republic Day, have met with lecturers and students of the South Ossetia State University. The delegation included members of the football team "Dynamic -Trade" - the reigning champion of the Serbian annual indoor soccer tournament, named after Dmitry Popovich, the priest Father Rodevoy, as well as the head of the Charitable Foundation of the Russian - Serbian friendship Roman Ilyushkin.
At the beginning of the meeting Roman Ilyushkin told the South Ossetian students about social, political and cultural life of Serbia, the war imposed on the Serbian people in 1999 by the U.S. and Western countries.
"Within three months, the southern part of the independent Serbia – Kosovo- was being bombed and shelled. Kosovo is the cradle of the Serbian ethnos, here is the first capital of medieval Serbia – Prizran. Now only Albanians live in Kosovo, they expelled all the Serb population, the indigenous Orthodox Serbs "- said Ilyushkin.
He has also noted that South Ossetia and Serbia share common goals and objectives.
"We came here open-hearted; we have played a friendly football match in the name of unity between the Ossetian and the Serbian people. Serbian people are very fond of you; the common pain and sufferings have united South Ossetian and Serbian peoples", - he added.
South Ossetian students were addressed by Father Rodevoy, who noted the importance of establishing friendly relations between the youth of South Ossetia and Serbia.
"You are the future and the hope of the people of South Ossetia. We must strengthen our unity, development of friendly contacts at the level of universities, colleges, schools, at the level of the Orthodox Church," - he stressed.
The guests presented gifts to the South Ossetian University.
In turn, pro-rector of the South Ossetian State University Natalie Gassieva thanked the guests for the desire to establish friendly relations with the youth of South Ossetia.

The Chairman of the State Committee of Information and Press of South Ossetia Vyacheslav Gobozov made a report at the international theoretical and practical conference "The geopolitical results of the "August War": Lessons and Challenges ", organized by the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies.
He gave the forum participants words of welcome and fruitful work from the President of the Republic of South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov.
"The head of the South Ossetian government highly appreciates the fact of holding this conference, as well as other similar activities, to comprehend and analyze the current geopolitical trends in general, the problems of such a significant region as the Caucasus, in particular, and what is especially important to us, the processes underway in the Republic of South Ossetia and around it,"- said Gobozov.
He has reminded that a month ago in Tskhinval was held the international conference "The August aggression of Georgia and the recognition of the state independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by the Russian Federation, geopolitical consequences, lessons and conclusions," timed to the fifth anniversary of the August events.
"Some of our colleagues took part in that event - continued Gobozov. - Today we can continue our conversation, the main purpose of which is to comprehend the results of the events taken place five years ago, to analyze the current stage of relations between Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as the influence of other geopolitical players on these processes."
The head of the information agency of South Ossetia has noted that there was reached a preliminary agreement with the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies that the reports of both conferences will be published as a single collection, which apparently is naturally enough and logical.
Vyacheslav Gobozov has noted several aspects of the geopolitical results of the August Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia and the subsequent operation to force the aggressor to peace, as well as the recognition of the state independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia. He has stressed that "August 2008 became a certain kind of Rubicon, after which it has finally become clear that the decline of the unipolar world has not occurred yet, but, in any case, it is not far off."
The past five years have clearly demonstrated that "the decisions and actions taken by the then leadership of Russia, were the only right and non-alternative."
However, even today there are people who try to question the legality of Russian interference in those events. In this regard, the head of the information agency of the RSO has emphasized that Russia initially had the right, as a well as the obligation to actively participate in these processes.
"As a legal successor of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, Russia could not help feeling a certain historical and legal responsibility for the division of Ossetia, since Ossetia had become part of the Russian Empire as a single state, and was divided into the North and South only later by efforts of the imperial administration and the Bolshevik leaders. As a responsible country, Russia could not keep itself aloof from the events taking place in South Ossetia ", - said Gobozov.
Besides Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia fully complies with international law, as "the formation and legal registration of the Republic of South Ossetia happened before the international recognition of the current state of Georgia, before it`s joining the UN and the entry of Georgia into the CIS".
Gobozov has also stressed that the recognition of South Ossetia was "the only true and vital decision in terms of historical perspective, "since the "divorce" between Georgia and South Ossetia was historically inevitable.
"The Georgian- South Ossetian "hostel," as vividly evidenced by centuries of experience, was possible only under the totalitarian system, resorting to repressions, of course, against South Ossetia. In any other situation so unnatural alliance would have not future" - said the head of the South Ossetian news agency.
Referring to the illusions generated in certain circles by coming to power in Georgia of the
"Georgian Dream" and the so-called Russian- Georgian "thaw," Gobozov said: "The leaders of the "Georgian Dream," as well as the previous rulers of this country, need the improvement of relations with Russia in order to help them to return South Ossetia and Abkhazia into Georgia. And this is a very dangerous illusion, because the entry of South Ossetia into Georgia is impossible. The independence policy of South Ossetia, development of its statehood, and full integration with Russia – it is non-alternative. This course will never change and does not depend on the forces in power in Georgia or as a result of persuasion of friends and threats of enemies, or due to any external pressure. "
The Chairman of the State Committee of Information and Press of South Ossetia has focused on the terminology used in describing the events of August 2008. According to him, even Russian political scientists and journalists often make such definitions as the " five-days war", " the Russian- Georgian war," etc.
"It is not as harmless as it may seem , because it is directed to represent Russia as an aggressor, which annexed part of the territory of another state," - said Gobozov .

"There was not the "five-day," the "August," the "Russian-Georgian" war," etc. There was 18 -year-old Georgian aggression against South Ossetia, the culmination of which became the "Clean field" and the Russian operation to force the aggressor to peace. So I would encourage all those involved in this issue, to take into consideration this and other not so harmless terminological nuances, "- said Gobozov.
He has added that the past five years were not easy for South Ossetia. The way of building the independent state was not without omissions and errors. Many problems are facing the young state today. Most of these problems, according to Gobozov, are well known, the wide discussion of the ways of solving them is even outside South Ossetia. "We `d like to involve in the discussion of the processes taking place in South Ossetia more competent, unbiased scholars , political scientists and public figures. "
According to Gobozov, in the process of creating an objective, positive image of the Republic of South Ossetia "much greater significance will have not the propaganda publications, but materials, speeches and writings, which contain the competent, objective analysis of the hard, contradictory process of state-building, which is currently underway in the Republic of South Ossetia."
"We are firmly convinced that building the independent, viable and democratic state is a grand historical task, and people of the Republic of South Ossetia Ossetian will cope with this task, which is gradually becoming the Ossetian national idea. And we are grateful to everyone who is with us ", - said Vyacheslav Gobozov.
Concluding his speech, the Chairman of the State Committee of Information and Press of South Ossetia wished the conference fruitful work and assured them that he was going to actively participate "in our today's conference, as well as in other similar forums in the future."

The demarcation works at the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia are being carried out in the South Ossetian territory, at a certain distance away from the border line, said the journalists the RSO Presidential Envoy for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev.