Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia
With regard to the fourth anniversary of the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation
August 26 the Republic of South Ossetia is celebrating the fourth anniversary of recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. This day in the modern history of the Ossetian people is a significant and turning point. The decision on the recognition of the state independence of the Republic of South Ossetia was motivated by years of national liberation struggle for self-preservation and realization of the rights of our people to national statehood since1989.
For 20 years, the Republic of South Ossetia has existed as a democratic, legal state, exercised effective control over its territory, and performed all public functions. The people of South Ossetia three times confirmed their will for independence at the referendums in 1992, 2001 and 2006.
Aggression, ethnic cleansing and genocide, carried out by Georgia against South Ossetia in 1989-2008 have caused death and suffering of thousands of people. As a result of the humanitarian catastrophe more than a hundred and twenty thousand Ossetians in South Ossetia and Georgia have become refugees.
Raising the terror and military resolution of relations with South Ossetia to the level of the state policy, Georgia, committing a gross violation of the 1992 Sochi Agreement on the principles of settlement of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, August 7, 2008 launched another full-scale military aggression against South Ossetia, code-named "The Clean Field." The operation, involving barbaric actions of the Georgian troops against the civilians, brought our people tremendous victims and sufferings. The barbaric plan of the invasion of South Ossetia was aimed at the destruction of the Russian peacekeepers` base in South Ossetia and at wiping the rebellious Ossetians who had been defending their right to freedom, human dignity and, finally, the right to life, off the face of the earth.
President of Georgia made an irresponsible and criminal decision to attack peaceful Tskhinval bringing down firepower of his special forces. Thousands of peacefully sleeping people of different nationalities, including the Georgians, found themselves under the fire of the Georgian rockets and guns. As a result of the bloody action of the Georgian government were killed hundreds of people - the Russian peacekeepers, ordinary residents of South Ossetia and journalists. One will never justify such crimes against peace and humanity.
Only the outstanding heroism of the Ossetian soldiers and peacekeepers, the decisive actions of Russia, which had risen in defense of South Ossetia and the first recognized its sovereignty, prevented more dire consequences and the holocaust of our people.
The recognition of South Ossetia a sovereign independent state by the Russian Federation on August 26, 2008, was an act of historical justice and the only correct decision of the Russian leadership. This solution is a guarantee of peace and stable development of the South Ossetian state and its people.
The past four years is enough time to prove the correctness of the crucial decisions, made and implemented by Russia in August 2008 in response to a criminal adventure of the Georgian leadership.
The Republic of South Ossetia, with the assistance of the brotherly Russia for the first time over the two decades has an opportunity for safe and stable building of its sovereign statehood, independent of social, economic and cultural development, recognition of the international legal personality. Republic of South Ossetia seeks to establish the most friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all members of the international community, devoted, like South Ossetia, to the sovereignty in domestic and foreign policy on the basis of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and other fundamental international instruments.
People of South Ossetia will always embalm with gratitude in their memory the feat of the Ossetian and Russian soldiers and officers, and all those who stood by the Ossetian people and gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our country.
