The active work of the South Ossetian delegation at the ground of the Caucasian Investment Exhibition was aimed at strengthening and further developing friendly ties with the regions of the North Caucasus. Yuri Vazagov, head of the Information and Analytical Department of the Office of the President of South Ossetia, noted this in a commentary to the "Res," news agency.
As a priority, he has stressed, taking into account the context of the event, issues related to the establishment of cooperation in the economic sphere between South Ossetia and the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District were considered.
"The geographical factor in deepening the economic integration of South Ossetia with the Russian Federation will undoubtedly play an important role, causing the urgency of building up trade and economic ties with the nearest regions of Russia," Vazagov said.
In addition, according to the expert, the diverse experience of the North Caucasian republics in the implementation of tourism projects, the development of the agrarian sector and the agro-industrial complex in their mountainous territories will undoubtedly be useful for South Ossetia.
“Judging by the content of the talks held by the RSO President Alan Gagloev and members of the South Ossetian delegation with the heads of several regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, these points were also discussed and will be reflected in the implementation of the agreements reached,” he has stressed.
Vazagov has noted that a number of aspects affecting key moments in the recent history of South Ossetia create a favorable background for building productive cooperation between our Republic and the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District.
“In particular, we are talking about the fact that the support from the overwhelming majority of the peoples of the North Caucasus was a fairly significant factor in the course of South Ossetia's opposition to Georgian aggression, as well as during the preparation of the decision to recognize the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia. From the side of the leadership and political circles of the Republic in those years, a lot of efforts were made in terms of strengthening traditionally friendly relations with the North Caucasian republics and the Cossacks,” Vazagov said.
He has added, that considering the complicated situation in the South Caucasus region, and the desire of the Western countries to take advantage of revanchist sentiments in Georgia, there is a reason, along with the further deepening of cooperation between Moscow and Tskhinval, to pay increased attention to intensifying contacts with the republics of the North Caucasus.
As a positive moment associated with the participation of the South Ossetian delegation in the work of the Caucasian Investment Exhibition, Vazagov noted the meeting of President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev with his Abkhaz counterpart Aslan Bzhaniya, “which reflected the mood of the parties to increase the dynamics of bilateral relations in all key areas and made it possible to discuss new steps to strengthen the South Ossetian-Abkhazian cooperation”.
"The historical roots underlying bilateral cooperation and the commonality of tasks facing Tskhinval and Sukhum in the context of regional geopolitics dictate the need to strengthen allied relations between the two republics," the expert has concluded.
