North Ossetia supports independence of unrecognized republics

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The project of statement of the Stated Duma deputies “On the policy of the Russian Federation regarding Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transdnestr” discussed today, March 21, at a parliament's plenary session, is being lively commented on in North Ossetia, REGNUM correspondent has reported.

“North Ossetia recognized independence of South Ossetia in 1993. All these years, we have been applying to agencies of the Russian federation's state authority to recognize sovereignty of the republic that has acquired all the attributes of a state,” North Ossetian MP Valery Gizoyev said.

“Yesterday, parliament of North Ossetia again appealed to heads of both houses of the Russian parliament regarding the subject. It is said in the text of the statement: 'the State Duma of the Russian Federation states that after independence of Kosovo was unilaterally proclaimed, Russia has realized the necessity to correct its policy regarding Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transdnestr based on the will of population residing in the territories.'”

“The State Duma reminds that on both sides of the Russian-Georgian border, there are North Ossetia and South Ossetia, in which one and the same divided Ossetian people is living.”

“In the circumstances when the universally recognized principles of international law lose their inviolability, a situation may occur in which the right of a people for unification becomes a priority. I believe that time has come to unify the Ossetian people divided by a state border.”

“Kosovo option is not acceptable to us. Russian parliamentarians have expressed their attitude to the problem. At this point, Abkhazia and South Ossetia will not so far become independent states, but they will receive aid from Russia and guarantees of security in case of military conflict with Georgia. It means that the process of recognition of unrecognized states has started,” Valery Gizoev observed.

Coordinator of North Ossetian regional department of LDPR Georgy Zozrov said that it was time to proceed from words to action, and informed that his party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky also supported the idea of recognizing South Ossetia.

“The project of the statement discussed today in the Russian parliament, undoubtedly, shows that Russia is not indifferent to the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In case of aggression, they will be rendered help, the regime of border crossing is being simplified, and Russian missions are being opened in the republics. But we also want the South and North of Ossetia to unify as one republic. We were divided at some point by politicians; it's time now to correct this mistake,” North Ossetian MP Anatoly Tsalkosov said.

“It is necessary to analyze the possibility of speeding up the objective sovereignty-gaining process by Abkhazia and South Ossetia, up to recognition of their independence based on the will of the people. From Georgia they have been long since independent,” Tsalkosov argued.