In 2023, in accordance with the designated tasks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its foreign agencies continued their work to defend and promote national interests of South Ossetia, to strengthen and develop mutually beneficial cooperation with the states with which South Ossetia had established diplomatic relations, as well as to expand international contacts. The Ministry participated in preparation, organization and implementation of visits of foreign delegations to the Republic of South Ossetia and visits of South Ossetian delegations to foreign states, conducted consular work to resolve problems of South Ossetian citizen abroad.
Internal political events
In 2023, the Republic of South Ossetia celebrated two important dates: on August 8 – the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the armed aggression of Georgia against South Ossetia, and on August 26 – the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.
Commemorative events dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the armed aggression of Georgia against South Ossetia were held in the Republic and in foreign agencies of the South Ossetian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tragiс events of that days were commemorated in friendly countries as well.
More than 20 official delegations from the Russian Federation and a number of friendly countries arrived for celebrations, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.
The festivities were attended by delegations of the State Duma and the Federation Council of Russia, Nicaragua, Pridnestrovie, Abkhazia, Turkey, North Ossetia, other republics of North Caucasus, DPR, LPR, Crimea etc. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin headed the Russian delegation.
As part of the festive events, an agreement on cooperation was signed between Parliaments of South and North Ossetia.
It should be noted that March 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of adoption of the resolution on recognition of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Supreme Council of the North Ossetian SSR. That resolution, dated March 6, 1993, was of great importance for demonstrating the unity of the Ossetian people, and later became a weighty argument in favor of recognizing the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.
On May 29, President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev addressed the people and the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia. In terms of foreign policy the President emphasized that the Republic has clear foreign policy priorities – it is the Russian Federation, the main ally of South Ossetia. The President marked that the decision of the Russian Federation on conducting the special military operation on protection of residents of Donbass has been supported by the leadership of the Republic from the first days, and servicemen and volunteers from Ossetia have stood side by side with Russian soldiers to protect joint interests in the struggle against the Ukrainian neo-Nazism.
Russia
Further development and strengthening of friendly relations and integration ties with the Russian Federation remains the priority direction of foreign policy of the Republic of South Ossetia.
In conditions of escalated global military and political situation, the Republic of South Ossetia considers the Russian Federation as the unique guarantor of its security and is keen to follow the course of further strengthening the joint defense area together with its main strategic partner.
The South Ossetian-Russian relations have solid legal basis, which accounts for more than 130 agreements, treaties, protocols of interstate, inter-governenmental and interdepartmental level that cover almost all areas of interaction. However, the work on strengthening the legislative framework continues.
In particular, 13 bilateral documents of various levels have been signed in 2023.
Russia supports South Ossetian formation as a sovereign democratic state, contributes to reliable maintenance of security, social and economic development (in framework of the Investment program).
In 2023, two sessions of the South Ossetian-Russian Inter-governmental commission on socioeconomic cooperation were held with participation of the South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev – the XXI session was held in Moscow, and the XXII – in Tskhinval.
In general, the relations between South Ossetia and Russia are being developed dynamically and are filled with real content. The Russian Federation remains a reliable ally to South Ossetia, a guarantor of peace and security in the region.
On March 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On the approval of the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation”. The Concept, in particular, refers to comprehensive support for the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia, assistance in the implementation of the voluntary choice of the peoples of these states based on international law in favor of deepening integration with Russia.
Year 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation and the 15th anniversary of signing of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the two states.
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Ossetia and Russa A. M. Dzhioev, the South Ossetian Foreign Minister, and S. V. Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, exchanged congratulatory notes. Alongside with this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia together with the A. Tibilov South Ossetian State University held a round table “South Ossetia - Russia: the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations”.
On March 16, a meeting of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was held in Moscow. President Putin noted that the relations between South Ossetia and Russia are of special character. Leaders of the two states discussed current state of affairs and the perspectives for further development of the bilateral cooperation, first of all, in social and economic sphere.
On August 25, on the eve of celebrating the day of recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation, a meeting between the President of the Republic of South Ossetia A.E. Gagloev and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev was held in Moscow. Dmitry Medvedev noted that the decision taken in 2008 to recognize the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia and Abkhazia was not simple, but it ensured the protection of life and health of residents of the Republics.
On October 3, a meeting between the South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev and the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was held in Sochi. The South Ossetian Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev participated in the meeting. The parties discussed a wide range of relevant issues of the bilateral relations as well as items, related to regional and international agenda. In the context of regional security, special attention was drawn to the issue of coordinating activities at the platform of the GID on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia.
Cooperation with regions of Russia
In August, at the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Government of the Leningrad Region on cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical, social and cultural spheres.
On the sidelines of the SPIEF the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev met with Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexnader Drozdenko and Acting Governor of the Omsk Region Vitaly Khotsenko.
The Days of Culture of the Chechen Republic were held in South Ossetia in March, and the Days of Culture of South Ossetia were held in the Chechen Republic in May.
Close interparliamentary cooperation continues. On October 9, Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Alborov met with Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin in Moscow. An agreement on cooperation was signed between the Parliament of South Ossetia and the State Duma of Russia, which will give an additional impetus to the bilateral cooperation and will allow the deputies of the two countries conduct a dialogue on a permanent basis.
On December 12-13, a delegation of the Parliament of the Republic of South participated in the IV International Conference “The role of interaction between factions of political parties and blocs in interparliamentary cooperation of the CIS countries”, which was held in the State Duma of Russia.
On December 19, in Moscow, a delegation of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia participated in the work of the 65th Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia in a status of a permanent observer.
In 2023, two meetings of the Joint South Ossetian Russian Demarcation Commission were held: the 8th meeting was held in Tskhinval on June5-9 and the 9th – in Moscow on September 26-29.
Leading higher diplomatic universities of Russia (MGIMO (U) and DA MFA) annually assist South Ossetia in training international specialists and in professional training of diplomatic staff of the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry.
On July 11-15, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia took part in the Eurasian Forum of Young Diplomats, which was held on the sidelines of the Manzherok Festival in Gorno-Altaisk.
On August 17 – 21, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia participated in the VI Global Forum of Young Diplomats “Diplomacy of the New Multipolar World”, which was held in Kazan.
From September 25 till October 7, 2023, employees of the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry attended short-term professional development courses in the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of Russia entitled “International relations. The Foreign Policy of Russia.”
From December 4 till December 8, 2023, employees of the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry attended professional development courses in the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of Russia. The courses entitled “Media service in Foreign Ministries”, prepared together with the Department of Information and Press of the Russian MFA, were organized for foreign diplomats for the first time.
Georgia
Among external threats to national security of South Ossetia and the region generally the main threat remains the unsettled relations with Georgia and its unwillingness to sign the legally binding document on the non-use of force.
At present time the situation in the territory of Georgia bordering to the Republic of South Ossetia is characterized as relatively calm. However, on November 6, the Georgian side carried out a provocation near the settlement of Amdzarin in the Leningor region. An incident occurred when the border guard detained violators of the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia, as a result of which one citizen of Georgia was injured and later died and another was detained.
These citizens of Georgia illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia by car with the intention of travelling deep into its territory, but were detected by the border guard. The perpetrators demonstratively ignored the repeated demands of the border guards to stop driving and warnings about the use of weapons and, moreover showed an extreme degree of the aggression towards the border guards, threatening their lives and health.
In the Republic of South Ossetia the incident is considered as a direct consequence of the refusal, first of all, of the official Tbilisi to recognize the existing geopolitical realities. The result of this position is among other things, numerous facts of detention of Georgian citizens who illegally found themselves in the territory of South Ossetia with the demonstrative connivance of Georgian law enforcers. These facts are presented by Georgian representatives on all possible international platforms as so-called “illegal abduction”, which, in the opinion of the official Tbilisi, fit well into the non-existent agenda of the so-called “occupation of part of the territory of Georgia” imposed on the international community.
In this regard, the Ministry has repeatedly made relevant statements and comments, which contain, among the other things, a call for Tbilisi to begin joint work on the delimitation and demarcation of the state border, assuming the determination of the order for its crossing according to civilized and transparent rules.
It should be also noted that the current Georgian leadership is subjected to very serious pressure both from the internal radical opposition and from outside, from the so-called “friends of Georgia”, in connection with demands to join the anti-Russian coalition of countries, including the imposition of sanctions and even under certain circumstances the opening of a “second front” So far, the current leadership of Georgia has managed to pursue a balanced policy and not give in to such suicidal appeals.
South Ossetia hopes that Georgian political and military leadership will remain prudent and pragmatic and will not allow the implementation of imposed scenarios that could lead to catastrophic consequence. We continue to closely monitor the internal political situation in neighboring Georgia and to assess possible risks and threats in close contact with Russian and Abkhaz colleagues.
Abkhazia, Pridnestrovie
The work continued to strengthen ties with brotherly republics – the Republic of Abkhazia and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
In this regard, it is necessary to mention the visit of the official delegation of the Republic of South Ossetia, headed by President Alan Gagloev, to the Republic of Abkhazia to participate in the festive events, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Victory Day and the Independence Day of Abkhazia. The South-Ossetian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs A. M. Dzhioev.
In framework of the visit, an extended format meeting between the President of the Republic of South Ossetia A. E. Gagloev and the President of the Republic of Abkhazia A. G. Bzhania was held in Sukhum.
There was also a meeting held between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia I. B. Ardzinba.
A military parade was held at the Square of Freedom in Sukhum in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Victory of the people of Abkhazia in the 1992-1993 Patriotic war, in which the banner group and the ceremonial squad of the Special Forces Battalion of the South Ossetian Defense Ministry took part.
Earlier in May, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev paid an official visit to the Republic of Abkhazia, within which he took part in a solemn meeting dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, as well as in Global Abkhazia Forum, dedicated to the significant date.
During the visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia I. B. Ardzinba. The parties discussed the condition and prospects for further development of traditionally friendly South Ossetian-Abkhazian relations.
On April 25, a meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Abkhazia to the Russian Federation Alkhas Kvitsinia was held in Moscow.
In 2023, the Days of Culture of Abkhazia in South Ossetia and the Days of Culture of South Ossetia in Abkhazia were held within the framework of cooperation in the sphere of culture and art.
On February 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev took part in the meeting of the reporting board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in the videoconference mode, timed to the Diplomat’s Day.
On February 24, a telephone conversation was held between the South Ossetian Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev and Vitaly Ignatiev, Foreign Minister of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Current agenda of the bilateral cooperation was discussed and the importance of further development of the South Ossetian - Pridnestrovian relations was emphasized. The parties shared concern about the increase of tensions around the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and expressed a joint opinion about the necessity of strict observance of the existing negotiating format and peaceful solution of the issues. The stabilizing role of the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation in the Moldova-Pridnestrovie settlement was highlighted. The South Ossetian party expressed support to the efforts of the leadership of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region.
On May 7, on the eve of the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the Great Victory, games of junior chess teams of South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie took place in framework of the International Online Rapid Chess Tournament for Juniors between teams of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie. Official Representations of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic were initiators of the online tournament.
In August, a delegation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, headed by Dmitry Palamarchuk, Head of the Main Foreign Policy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, arrived in Tskhinval to participate in the festivities, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. In framework of the visit, a meeting was held between the South Ossetian Foreign Minister A. M. Dzhioev and Head of the Main Foreign Policy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic D. H. Palamarchuk.
Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu
South Ossetia has been recognized by a number of significantly distant states (Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu), so that it is complicated to develop cooperation with them actively. However, systematic work at the level of diplomacy and cultural ties has been carried out.
In 2023 the Republic celebrated the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by Nicaragua. To commemorate this significant date, on the initiative of the student club “Apollo” at the A.Tibilov South Ossetian State University, an ascent to the top of Mount Dzhermukh (3193 m), located in the Tli Gorge of South Ossetia, was organized.
Among recent events one can name a meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Nicaragua to the Republic of South Ossetia Alba Azucena Torres Mejía, which was held in Moscow on October 20. During the meeting the parties discussed a range of issues related to further development of friendly South Ossetian-Nicaraguan relations.
On April 21, a meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Nicaragua to the Republic of South Ossetia Alba Azucena Torres Mejía was also held in Moscow. Narim Kozaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Ossetia to the Republic of Nicaragua, participated in the meeting.
In August, on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev met with a delegation of the Republic of Nicaragua, headed by Advisor to the President, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Nicaragua for Cooperation with the Russian Federation Laureano Facundo Ortega Murillo
On July 19, Narim Kozaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Ossetia to the Republic of Nicaragua, participated in the celebration on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista Revolution in Managua. Narim Kozaev conveyed to Comandante Daniel Ortega a congratulatory letter from the President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev on the occasion of the national holiday and noted the commitment of the leadership and the people of South Ossetia to further strengthening ties with Nicaragua.
Among the events dedicated to the victory of the Sandinista Revolution a meeting was held between Narim Kozaev and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua Arlette Marenco.
In August, a delegation of the Republic of Nicaragua, headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres, arrived in Tskhinval to participate in the celebrations, dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.
On December 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev attended the event, dedicated to celebration of the 79th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Nicaragua and the Russian Federation, organized in Moscow. On the margins of the event the Minister met with Advisor to the President of the Republic of Nicaragua on Investments, Trade, and International Cooperation Laureano Ortega Murillo.
December 22 saw a friendly online rapid chess tournament held between junior chess teams of South Ossetia and Nicaragua. The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry was initiator of the online tournament. Representatives of South Ossetia and Nicaragua supported the idea of conducting similar championships in future.
In 2023 Yvan Gil Pinto was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. On this occasion the South Ossetian Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev sent him a congratulatory letter, where appreciated highly the level of relations that have established between foreign departments and reiterated the commitment to intensify further contacts and develop constructive dialogue for the benefit of the two states and nations.
In connection with the 10th anniversary of passing away of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia prepared a press release, where, in particular, noted that in South Ossetia Comandante Chavez had always been treated with great and sincere respect for his firm and uncompromising position in defending national interests, for solidarity and support for South Ossetia and its people.
On April 25, a meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of South Ossetia Jesus Rafael Salazar Velasquez was held in Moscow. The parties exchanged opinion on the perspectives of further development and deepening of relations between South Ossetia and Venezuela and agreed to continue cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
On December 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia extended a congratulatory letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Nauru on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Nauru.
Syria
Year 2023 marked the 5th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Syrian Arab Republic and the 5th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states.
In connection with the significant date, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev sent congratulatory notes to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal al-Mekdad and to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Russian Federation Bashar Jaafari.
On February 10, Alan Gagloev, President of the Republic of South Ossetia, visited the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in the Russian Federation, where expressed condolences to the people of Syria on the occasion of the destructive earthquake and its consequences and laid flowers at the wall of the Embassy.
In connection with the tragic consequences of the earthquake in Syria, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev sent a note of condolences to Faisal al-Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic.
On February 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev sent a note of condolences to Faisal al-Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, on the occasion of the tragic consequences of missile strikes on the territory of the Syria.
On April 20, a meeting of the South Ossetian Foreign Minister Akhsar Dzhioev and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Russian Federation Bashar Jaafari was held in Moscow. The parties discussed relevant issues of the bilateral cooperation and the perspectives of intensifying Tskhinval - Damascus contacts at various levels.
Also, on October 18, a meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Russian Federation Bashar Jaafari was held in Moscow. The parties discussed issues related to the development of interaction and cooperation between Tskhinval and Damascus at various levels. At the background of the sharply aggravated situation in the Middle East, special attention was drawn to the state of affairs in and around Syria.
On October 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev sent a note of condolences to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Faisal al-Mekdad in connection with the terrorist act in Homs.
On October 12, the Israeli Air Force launched strikes on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, as a result of which the runways of the international airports of Damascus and Aleppo were damaged. In the ministerial comment on the event it was emphasized that against the background of the sharp aggravation of the situation around the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian-Israeli relations in general, which had caused numerous human casualties, including among the civilian population, airstrikes on the infrastructure of neighboring states were fraught with further escalation of tension in the region.
The Ministry has been elaborating the issue of intensifying contacts and strengthening the bilateral relations with the Syrian Arab Republic including through development of the legal contractual base.
Extension of international contacts
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued its work on expansion of the number of friendly states, development of contacts, organizing meetings at various levels.
One of the priority directions of the South Ossetian policy is establishing contacts with the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The Republic of South Ossetia undertakes certain steps to establish new and strengthen the existing ties. These are, first of all, contacts in economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. In particular, the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia has a status of a permanent observer in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia since October 2008.
On June 22, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Ossetia to the Russian Federation Znaur Gassiev took part in commemorative events dedicated to the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People in Brest (Belarus). On behalf of the people of South Ossetia, flowers were laid at the Eternal Flame in the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex.
Apart from that, in Brest, Akhsar Dzhioev and Znaur Gassiev participated in a round table in the format "Minsk – Brest – Moscow", dedicated to that significant date. Within the framework of the round table, a presentation of the book “They do not have a statute of limitations” from the “Library of the Union State” series took place, based on materials collected by investigators and prosecutors from Russia and Belarus about the events of the mass extermination of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War.
On October 18 and December 15, meetings of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev with State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev were held in Moscow. Practices of interaction and cooperation, primarily in fields of culture, education, science and sports, implemented by the Permanent Committee of the Union State, were discussed during the meetings.
Work with diasporas abroad
Representatives of the Ministry work in different states, where they find understanding and support for the interests of the Republic of South Ossetia among various political circles of these states. Cooperation with diasporas is also very important. The Ministry continues its work on further improvement of the achieved results in this area.
On August 25, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev hosted a meeting with the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Republic of Turkey Hosity Burhan and the Representative of the National Cultural Society of the Ossetians of Turkey “Alan” Kusaty Hayri, who arrived in South Ossetia to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. Akhsar Dzhioev emphasized that strengthening contacts with Ossetian diasporas and, in particular, with the Ossetians living in Turkey, is important for South Ossetia. Head of the South Ossetian diplomatic department noted the high level of cultural and educational outreach being made by the diaspora in Turkey, aimed at preserving the native language and traditions, as well as strengthening ties with South Ossetia.
On July 31, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev hosted a meeting with the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Benelux countries Radion Pukhaev. During the conversation, some aspects of the Representative's work with Ossetian diasporas in Europe were discussed, special attention was paid to the prospects for further implementation of various cultural and educational projects.
On August 18, President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev hosted a meeting with the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Benelux countries Radion Pukhaev. Radion Pukhaev told the President about the work done, as well as plans to hold Days of Ossetian Culture in the BRICS countries.
On December 9-10, Belgrade hosted the XVI Regional Conference of Russian compatriots from European Countries “Historical memory, Russian language and Culture - the foundations of Identity of the Russian Diaspora in Europe “. Radion Pukhaev, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Benelux countries, was Chairman and moderator of the conference, as the Chairman of the Russian Book Union of Europe.
Important work contributing to strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the two states and nations is conducted by Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in Italy Mauro Murgia.
On June 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev hosted a meeting with the Official Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Republic of Austria Patrick Poppel, who was in Tskhinval on a working visit. During the meeting relevant issues of interaction, as well as opportunities for further extension of international ties in Europe were discussed.
On October 27, the Official Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Republic of Austria Patrick Poppel visited A. Tibilov State University, where gave a lecture to students and lecturers of the Department of Political Science and Sociology on the topic “Public diplomacy as an important tool in modern international politics”.
On July 7, at the invitation of the Consul General of Russia in Istanbul Andrey Buravov, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Republic of Turkey Burhan Hosity took part in the meeting of the “Russia’s Friends Club” in Istanbul. The “Russia’s Friends Club” was established on the initiative of the “United Russia” party for the purpose of promotion of the Russian culture and maintaining contacts between peoples. It is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo, Russian political and public organizations.
The GID
An important part of the work conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia is participation in the Geneva International Discussions for Security and Stability in Transcaucasia. The main objective of the Discussions is signing a legally binding document on non-use of force by Georgia, which would provide strong guarantees for security in the region and would exclude the possibility of resumption of hostilities.
Year 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the GID. The Discussions started on October 15, 2008, after the armed attack of Georgia on South Ossetia and after forcing the aggressor to peace, in accordance with the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreements, dated August 12, 2008 and September 8, 2008. Delegations from South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Russia, Georgia, the USA, as well as representatives of the EU, the UN and the OSCE participate in the Discussions on equal rights. The Discussions are organized in format of two working groups – on security and humanitarian issues.
The South Ossetian party numerous times has emphasized that the GID remains the only platform for conducting discussions on arising issues and threats, and long-term freeze could negatively affect the stability and security in the region.
For the time being the negotiating process accounts for 59 rounds. The South Ossetian party considers it useful to participate in the Discussions and stands for conducting further dialogue as well as searching new possibilities to increase the effectiveness and to advance the work in framework of the format.
December 29, Tskhinval 2023