August 26 is the day of recognition of the state independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. The epochal event in the recent history of the Republic, which took place fourteen years ago, was the logical result of the forced longstanding struggle of the people of South Ossetia against permanent aggression by Georgia, victims of which were thousands of defenders and civilians of South Ossetia, while more than a hundred thousand Ossetians became refugees. Georgia's almost complete economic, political and information blockade of South Ossetia, which has been going on since the early 90s of the last century, has led to a catastrophic degradation of the necessary for life infrastructure.
The apotheosis of Georgia's criminal policy towards the Republic of South Ossetia was the full-scale military aggression against South Ossetia on the night of August 7 to August 8, 2008, carried out as a result of the connivance of Georgian military aspirations on the part of the international community and Georgia's demonstrative violation of its obligations, which had international guarantees.
The Russian Federation, based on the fundamental norms of international law, in full accordance with the logic of the events, intervened in the situation that threatened catastrophic consequences for the people of South Ossetia and the destruction of the existing structure of security and stability in the South Caucasus region.
After the successful implementation of the operation to force the aggressor to peace, which once again confirmed Russia's status as a great power, the leadership of the Russian Federation made the only correct and fateful decision for our two states and peoples to recognize the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia.
For fourteen years, the Republic of South Ossetia has been living a peaceful life, using this historic opportunity to strengthen and develop its sovereign statehood, in cooperation, interaction and with the very significant friendly assistance of the Russian Federation, its major ally and strategic partner.
The further development and deepening of South Ossetian-Russian relations is becoming even more relevant against the background of the growing scale of Georgia's military-technical cooperation with NATO countries and its desire to join it, as well as the complete disregard by European justice of the need to hold Georgia accountable for the war crimes committed, the lack of political assessment by the international community in connection with Georgia's refusal to assuming obligations on the non-use of force against neighboring states and, finally, continuation of the idea of annexation of the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia and termination of its existence as a subject of international law in the Georgian political agenda.
Despite the fact that Georgia remains unstable inside and hostile towards the Republic of South Ossetia till the present day, which cannot but cause the most serious concern, the new geopolitical reality created by the Russian Federation excludes for Georgia the possibility of military revenge and fully meets the interests of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation in strengthening a friendly alliance with the deepest historical roots and based on mutual support and the closest cooperation in the current difficult conditions.
Tskhinval, August 26, 2022