In 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia and its foreign agencies were implementing the foreign policy course designated by the President of the Republic of South Ossetia and, in accordance with the tasks that had been set, continued the work aimed at defending and promoting national interests of South Ossetia at international arena, at strengthening and developing mutually beneficial cooperation with the states with which South Ossetia had established diplomatic relations, as well as at expanding international contacts.
The Ministry provided political and diplomatic assistance to maintaining foreign policy contacts of the Republic of South Ossetia, conducted consular work to resolve problems of South Ossetian citizen abroad.
FOREIGN POLICY
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.
A. E. Gagloev, President of the Republic of South Ossetia, stays in regular contact with the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian leadership in general. Several telephone conversations were held between the Presidents during the year. Both leaders follow carefully the key issues related to the security and social and economic development of the Republic.
In conditions of escalated global military and political situation, the Republic of South Ossetia considers the Russian Federation as the only guarantor of its security and is keen to follow the course of further strengthening the joint defense area together with its main strategic partner.
Russia supports the formation of South Ossetia as a sovereign democratic state, contributes to its reliable security, social and economic development.
The South Ossetian-Russian relations have a solid contractual and legal basis, which includes more than 140 bilateral agreements that cover almost all areas of interaction. However, the work on improving the legislative framework continues.
In particular, in 2024, 9 bilateral documents of various levels were signed and the agreement on the development of military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation was ratified. Regulatory and legal cooperation with regions of Russia has also been actively developing.
Elections of the President of the Russian Federation, held on March 15-17, were an important event, in which actively participated citizens of the Russian Federation who permanently resided or stayed on the day of voting in the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia. Twelve polling stations were opened in South Ossetia, one of them for Russian military personnel. The voting was organized by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of South Ossetia. The Republic's leadership created all conditions for free expression of the will of voters. 97% of votes were given for Vladimir Putin.
Foreign ministries of South Ossetia and Russia maintain close cooperation within the framework of the interdepartmental Consultation Plan for 2024-2025, coordination is carried out on foreign policy issues as well as issues of the bilateral, regional and international agenda.
In this context, the meeting held on October 4, in Moscow, between Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S. V. Lavrov, during which a wide range of issues of the bilateral relations were discussed, is worth noting. It was emphasized that the decision of the Russian leadership of 2008 to recognize the sovereignty and independence of South Ossetia was not subject to revision.
Practical implementation of the South Ossetian-Russian political agenda was also discussed at the meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia M. Y. Galuzin on March 21.
In general, the continued support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia provided by the Russian diplomatic mission in South Ossetia, which is a key link for maintaining political and diplomatic contacts, as well as the important work carried out in Moscow by the South Ossetian Embassy, which, along with diplomatic activities in Russia, actively promotes cultural and humanitarian projects, are worth noting.
In October, it was four years since the establishment of the trade representative office of South Ossetia in Russia. Over this time, the representative office has made significant steps in strengthening trade and economic ties and promoting South Ossetian goods at Russian market.
Participation of high-level South Ossetian delegations in the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Caucasian Investment Forum in Grozny, held in summer of 2024, promoted dialogue. In February, South Ossetian products were presented at the Prodexpo-24 International Forum.
South Ossetia's cooperation with Russian regions has been consistently developing. In late November, President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev met with Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov in Simferopol. Relevant issues of the bilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting. Earlier, in February, the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of South Ossetia and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea was held in Simferopol.
The annual Yalta International Forum is also an important platform for cooperation with Crimea. On November 6, in Moscow, a plenary session “Crimea - the outpost of Russia in the struggle for a just world order” was held within the framework of the Forum. The event was attended by representatives of South Ossetia.
The Days of Culture of South Ossetia in Crimea with participation of the State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Republic of South Ossetia “Simd” are scheduled for the end of August – beginning of September 2025.
South Ossetia is ready to continue supporting in every possible way the existing relations with Crimea, which have been positively developing. This is witnessed by regular multi-level contacts and obligations arising from bilateral legal documents.
The year 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of the state coup in Ukraine and the 10th anniversary of the events of the “Crimean Spring”. The results of the all-Crimean referendum, conducted on March 16, 2014 in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in the city of Sevastopol, at which in compliance with the international legislation and the UN Charter the residents of Crimea freely supported the issue of reunification with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation, became the act of restoration of the historical justice.
On April 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia hosted a meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia A. Dzhioev and Russian Ambassador-at-Large R. Miroshnik, who deals with the crimes of the Kiev regime. The parties exchanged views on the assessment of the events in Ukraine – the Euromaidan and its geopolitical consequences.
South Ossetia’s relations with the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District have actively been developing. Based on the public and national interests of the Republic of South Ossetia, the most important foreign policy vector is a competent and consistent policy aimed at strengthening integration ties between South and North Ossetia. This is a historically determined process, stipulated by the norms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Ossetia. The Consular Agency of the Republic of South Ossetia in Vladikavkaz, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, makes significant contribution to ensuring the rights of South Ossetian citizens residing in the territory of the consular district, which includes the subjects of the North Caucasus Federal District.
The Russian side has repeatedly expressed gratitude for the support provided by South Ossetia in implementation of the objectives of the special military operation. At the meeting with the South Ossetian Foreign Minister A. M. Dzhioev, which was held in October, S. V. Lavrov expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Republic of South Ossetia for the activities aimed at supporting the special military operation.
The South Ossetian President regularly meets with military personnel of the Ossetian units in the area of the special military operation and provides comprehensive assistance to servicemen. As it has repeatedly been noted by President A. E. Gagloev, the decision of the Russian Federation to conduct the special military operation on protection of residents of Donbass has been supported by the leadership of the Republic of South Ossetia from the very 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.
Work continues on the international legal registration of the state border between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation. On September 24-26, 2024, the 10th meeting of the Joint South Ossetian-Russian Demarcation Commission was held in Tskhinval.
Leading diplomatic universities of Russia (MGIMO (U) and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) continue assisting South Ossetia in training of international specialists and professional development of diplomatic staff of the South Ossetian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 14 applicants from South Ossetia were accepted to diplomatic universities of Russia for the academic year 2024-2025. Two MGIMO graduates and one graduate of the Diplomatic Academy were employed in the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia.
While taking into account the importance of conducting work with students of specialized Russian universities, in November, the South Ossetian Foreign Minister A. M. Dzhioev held a meeting with South Ossetian students of MGIMO (U). A visit to the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation is scheduled for 2025.
Cooperation between young diplomats continues. Employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia participated in the VII Global Forum of Young Diplomats “Diplomacy in the Era of a Multipolar World”, which was held at the sidelines of the World Youth Festival in “Sirius” on March 1-7, and in the VIII Young Diplomats Forum of Eurasian countries entitled “Eurasia in the Multipolar World: Challenges and Prospects”, which was held in Moscow on October 1-4. On the final day of the Forum a ceremony of accession of representatives of the South Ossetian MFA to the International Association of Young Diplomats was held and a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Council of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South and the Council of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation was signed.
The results of the interaction of the Councils of Young Diplomats were summed up in December, in Moscow, at the meeting of A. Sanakoev and E. Akopyan, Heads of the Councils of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in which K. Kolpakov, representative of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, participated as well. The prospects for bilateral and multilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting.
Close interparliamentary cooperation between South Ossetia and Russia continues. Regular meeting was held in April 2024 in Moscow, while October 2024 witnessed the approval of the new composition of the permanent commission on cooperation between the Parliament of South Ossetia and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
In the reporting year, Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia A. Margiev and Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation V. Volodin also met on the margins of the annual inter-factional conference “The role of interaction of factions of political parties and blocs in interparliamentary cooperation of the CIS countries”, which was held on November 25 - 27 in Moscow and was attended by the delegation of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia.
In April 2025, at the invitation of Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation V. Volodin, a delegation of the Parliament of South Ossetia is expected to participate in an international forum dedicated to the preservation of historical memory, which will be held in Volgograd under the auspices of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, as well as in an international conference on the development of parliamentarism.
Georgia
On 26 October, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party, and presidential elections were held on 14 December under a new system. Protests continue in Georgia with the participation of opposition parties supported from abroad. At the same time, the incumbent head of the Georgian state does not recognize the results of the elections.
As the parliamentary elections in Georgia were taking place, Georgian politicians, including representatives of the ruling party of Georgia, were increasingly making various declarative statements concerning the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and speculating on the restoration of the so-called territorial integrity of the country and the peaceful “return” of the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Obviously, such statements were designed exclusively for the domestic audience and fully reflected the emotions of the election campaign in Georgia.
In this connection, the Ministry has repeatedly made relevant statements and comments on the unchanged geopolitical realities that have emerged in the region since August 2008. The people of the Republic of South Ossetia have made their non-negotiable choice in favor of building their sovereign statehood and strengthening friendly relations and integration ties with the Russian Federation, the only real guarantor of peace and security for South Ossetia.
We continue to closely monitor the internal political situation in neighbouring Georgia and to assess possible risks and threats in close contact with our Russian and Abkhaz colleagues.
International discussions on security and stability in the Transcaucasia
Participation in the International Discussions on Security and Stability in the Transcaucasia, including in the context of unresolved relations with Georgia, has been and remains a very important area of work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia.
International discussions on security and stability in the Transcaucasia were launched on 15 October 2008 after Georgia’s armed attack on South Ossetia and forcing the aggressor to peace, in accordance with the agreements between Medvedev and Sarkozy from 12 August and 8 September 2008. The delegations of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Russia, Georgia, the United States, as well as representatives of the EU, the United Nations and the OSCE are taking part inthe discussions on an equal footing. The discussions are being conducted in the format of twoworking groups - on security and humanitarian issues.
Three rounds of the Discussions took place in 2024. Regular meetings within the framework of the IPRM (Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism) continued. Although the situation was relatively stable, there were recorded violations and provocations from the Georgian side on the line of the State border during the year.
The most important issue of the Discussions is still open - the signing by Georgia of a legally binding document on the non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, guaranteeing lasting security in the region and ruling out the possibility of a resumption of hostilities. The parties will continue dialogue to reach an understanding on this issue.
With regard to the humanitarian component of the negotiation process in this format, it is regrettable to note the continuation of the unconstructive approach of the Georgian side, which politicizes the refugee issue and annually submits relevant resolutions to the UN General Assembly. At the same time, the possibility of the attendance of the delegations of South Ossetia and Abkhazia at the UN General Assembly is blocked, which is a direct violation of the norms of international law.
Nevertheless, the South Ossetian side considers participation in the Discussions useful and is in favor of continuing the dialogue and finding new ways to improve the effectiveness and advancement of work in this format.
Bearing in mind the complex of factors and actions on a number of topical international issues that call into question the neutrality of the Swiss Confederation, in 2024, the delegations of Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia have put forward a proposal to move the venue of the International Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia. This issue is being discussed. However, no consensus has yet been reached.
All participants in the process note the value of the International Discussions on Security and Stability in the Transcaucasia and reaffirm their commitment to this format.
Abkhazia, Pridnestrovie
Relations with the Republic of Abkhazia and the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic have traditionally been friendly. In 2024 the work on strengthening ties with the brotherly Republics continued.
On 26 August, within the framework of the participation of the South Ossetian delegation in the events on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the recognition of Abkhazia’s independence by Russia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. Dzhioev and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia S. Shamba held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, during which the Plan of consultations between the Ministries for 2024-2025 was signed.
In November, representatives of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia arrived in Tskhinval to promote cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. A memorandum of cooperation was signed.
On 26 August there were exchange visits of official delegations to Tskhinval and Sukhum to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the recognition of state independence of the two countries, in September representatives of the Republic of Abkhazia took part in festive events on theoccasion of the celebration of the 34th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of South Ossetia, as well as in the II International Medical Conference in Tskhinval.
The multi-directional cooperation with Abkhazia is also confirmed by plans for interaction in the
banking sector, announced in November in Sukhum during a meeting between Chairman of the National Bank of South Ossetia S. Bekoev and Chairman of the National Bank of Abkhazia B. Baratelia, as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the basketball federations of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Sukhum.
On the whole, relations with the brotherly republic are developing dynamically. The activity of diplomatic missions of South Ossetia in Sukhum and Abkhazia in Tskhinval addsconstructiveness to this process.
The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic remains a reliable partner for South Ossetia. Since 1990, our peoples have passed a difficult path of formation and institutional development. Common destinies, mutual spirit and vision of political guidelines are enshrined in a solid bilateral legal framework. Despite objective difficulties, the extremely difficult situation around the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the existing economic blockade by Moldova and logistical barriers, the Ministry has made every possible effort to maintain the existing contacts.
During 2024, this was expressed: in the participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. M. Dzhioev and Head of the Official Representation of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in the Republic of South Ossetia A. S. Pliev in the meeting of the reporting board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic via videoconference on 15 February; in the signing on 11 September of the Agreement on cooperation and establishment of twinning relations between schools from South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Pridnestrovie; in the international online conference of the Association of Universities of the Newly Independent States, held on 4 June, which was accompanied by the signing of cooperation agreements between the South Ossetian State University named after A.A. Tibilov and the Pridnestrovian State University named after T.G. Shevchenko.
Traditionally, Heads of the Official Representative Offices of the Republics in Tiraspol and Tskhinval, V. Jankovski and A. Pliev, as well as Official Representative of Abkhazia in Pridnestrovie A. Vataman have done a great job in maintaining contacts and assisting in the implementation of bilateral and multilateral initiatives when planning events in the trilateral format.
Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru
South Ossetia is recognized by a number of states that are significantly distant geographically (Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru), which complicates the intensified development of relations with them, but despite this, systematic diplomatic work is being carried out.
The year 2024 was marked by a number of important events in the political life of our counterparts in Latin America. In July, the Republic of Nicaragua marked the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, which by order of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia A. E. Gagloev was attended by a delegation of South Ossetia consisting of Minister of Foreign Affairs A. Dzhioev and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Ossetia to the Republic of Nicaragua and the Republic of Venezuela N. Kozaev. In Managua the delegation of South Ossetia met with President of Nicaragua Comandante D. Ortega and Vice-President R. Murillo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua D. Moncada, who had visited South Ossetia a year earlier, as well as Counsellor of the President of Nicaragua L. Ortega. During the meetings, which took place in a very friendly atmosphere, the mutual intention to further strengthen relations between South Ossetia and Nicaragua was confirmed. Earlier, in January 2024, Ambassador N. Kozaev visited Managua on a working visit.
In September, Waldrak Ludwig Jentske Whitaker was appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua. On the occasion of his appointment, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia A. Dzhioev sent a congratulatory message.
Within the framework of the visit to Nicaragua, the delegation of South Ossetia was passing through the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which today is going through a tough period of development. On 28 July 2024 in Venezuela presidential elections were held, which were won by the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro. The elections took place in an orderly, peaceful and calm manner, with no major irregularities, despite ongoing challenges to public security and attempts of outside interference. On 26 July, Caracas also hosted a working meeting between the South Ossetian Foreign Minister A. Dzhioev and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela Ivan Gil.
One should separately note the support of Russian diplomatic missions during the preparation of the visit, in particular on the part of the Russian Embassy in South Ossetia. The Russian Embassy in Managua, as well as in Caracas, provided much practical assistance.
For South Ossetian-Venezuelan relations, the year 2024 has become a jubilee year and is marked by the most important date - the 15th anniversary of the recognition of state independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In honor of this momentous event, with the support of the student club “Apollo”, the Venezuelan national flag was unfurled on the Kelsky Pass at an altitude of 3,112 meters above sea level.
In general, the development of relations with Nicaragua and Venezuela has a positive trend. The interaction between the diplomats of the three countries in Moscow is also very constructive. Mutual participation in state-significant and commemorative events held by the embassies has become a good tradition, which is also an important component of diplomatic work. In November-December, Moscow hosted several events in which the Ministry took part. These were, in particular, the anniversary of the death of the Nicaraguan revolutionary C. Fonseca, the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Nicaragua and the 9th anniversary of the Friendship Day between Russia and Nicaragua, which were attended by a delegation from Managua headed by Presidential Advisor L. Ortega.
The year 2024 was also a jubilee year in relations between South Ossetia and Nauru – 16 December marked the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Despite the huge distances separating the countries, the contacts will continue.
South Ossetia appreciates the existing relations. The President of the Republic of South Ossetia A. Gagloev and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia regularly exchange messages with the leadership and external relations bodies of these countries, while other forms of diplomatic communication are maintained.
Syria
Relations between South Ossetia and Syria were established in 2018 and had a progressive dynamic of development. At the end of November, a new aggravation of the civil war began in Syria, which had been raging with varying degrees of intensity since the spring of 2011. The resignation of B. Assad and the armed opposition coming to power entailed fundamental changes in the domestic and foreign policy reality, as well as the transformation of geopolitical processes in the region. All countries, including South Ossetia, must and will take these objective factors into account.
South Ossetia is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and proceeds from the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and peaceful resolution of the political crisis, preservation of unity and territorial integrity, formation of government bodies expressing the interests of all Syrians.
Now it is important to stop the unfolding spiral of violence, which is fraught with the most dangerous and unpredictable consequences, both for the integrity of Syria itself and for the stability of the entire region.
We are convinced that Syria’s return to peace is possible only through political dialogue and the cooperation of all ethnic, religious and political forces.
Expansion of international contacts
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to work on expanding the list of friendly countries, developing contacts and organizing meetings at various levels.
One of the priority areas for South Ossetia is the establishment of contacts with the Union State of Russia and Belarus. The Republic of South Ossetia is taking certain steps to establish new and strengthen the existing ties. These are, first of all, contacts in the economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. In particular, the Parliament of South Ossetia has been a permanent observer in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Russia and Belarus since October 2008.
South Ossetia is coordinating its actions with the Russian Federation and finds support and assistance from its Russian colleagues.
In this context, we can highlight the participation of the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry in the events dedicated to the Day of National Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People, which took place in Brest on 20-22 June. A constructive dialogue is being built up with the Permanent Committee of the Union State of Russia and Belarus in Moscow.
In the annual open tournament among fire-rescue units for the Cup of the Chairman of the City Executive Committee in Bobruisk, held from 17 to 20 January, timed to the Day of the Rescuer of Belarus, the team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of South Ossetia took part in the tournament with dignity.
Representatives of the Ministry work in different countries where they find understanding and support of interests of the Republic of South Ossetia in different political circles of these states, considerable importance is given to work with diasporas. The Ministry continues to work on further development of the achieved results.
On the initiative of Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia in Benelux R. Pukhaev, the Days of Ossetian culture were successfully held in Luxembourg in May-June 2024. As part of the event, an exhibition of Ossetian artists from EU countries was organized, which aroused great interest among art connoisseurs.
In April in Istanbul, R. Pukhaev took part in the XVII regional conference of compatriots living in Europe and North America dedicated to the preservation of Russian traditional spiritual and moral values. Radion Pukhaev was awarded a badge of honor by the World Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad for his significant contribution to the development of the Russian Compatriots Abroad movement.
Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in Italy Mauro Murja is significantly contributing to the promotion and strengthening of Italy’s friendly contacts with South Ossetia, as well as with the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. On his Initiative, on 2 September, at the Consular Agency of the Republic of South Ossetia in Vladikavkaz a meeting was held between Head of the Administration of Tskhinval Romeo Khugaev and Mayor of Gradara (Italian Republic) Filippo Gasperi, who arrived in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania together with Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in Italy Mauro Murja to participate in the commemorative events in connection with the 20th anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan.
For his active work Mauro Murja, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in Italy, was awarded a departmental medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia “For Cooperation”. On 26 November M. Murja was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Beslan. The award ceremony took place at the Russian Embassy in Rome with the participation of Russian Ambassador Alexei Paramonov and Head of the city of Beslan Khariton Tatrov.
Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in Turkey Burhan Khosity and Chairman of the Ossetian Society of Turkey “Alan” Sadrettin Kusaty make significant contribution to cultural and educational activities for preservation of the native language and traditions as well as the strengthening of ties with South Ossetia.
On 4 March, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia in the Republic of Turkey Burhan Khosity at the invitation of the Abkhazian Cultural Association in Istanbul took part in a memorial evening dedicated to the 14th anniversary of the death of the first President of the Republic of Abkhazia, historian, orientalist, doctor of historical sciences, Hero of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba.
International organizations
The Representative Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in South Ossetia, which is the only international organization carrying out its humanitarian activities on the territory of the Republic, was opened in Tskhinval in 2004.
The ICRC’s work in South Ossetia is conducted in several areas: clarification of the fate and whereabouts of missing persons; humanitarian assistance; visits to places of detention; and medical/orthopedic assistance.
In the reporting year, 14 events were organized on the search for missing people and assistance was provided in the organization of two meetings within the framework of the Coordination Mechanism for the Search for Missing Persons.
As part of the humanitarian component, assistance was provided to 245 beneficiaries, 10 projects were completed to install one insulation room in the homes of people in need, 8 visits were made to places of detention and 30 people in need received medical/orthopedic assistance.
INTERNAL POLITICAL EVENTS
On 9 June 2024, elections of deputies of the Parliament of the eighth convocation were held in the Republic of South Ossetia. Voting took place at 73 polling stations, 2 of which were opened on the territory of the Russian Federation. According to the results of the elections, the political parties “United Ossetia”, “Nykhas”, “People’s Party” and “Communist Party” were elected to the highest representative body of the Republic.
About 30 international observers from Russia, Belarus, Abkhazia and Turkey followed the electoral process. It was noted that the elections were being held in full compliance with the legislation of the Republic of South Ossetia and international electoral standards.
Dates:
The year 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the heinous terrorist attack in Beslan, which was one of the largest and most inhumane in Russia’s modern history. On 1-3 September, Ossetia held commemorative events dedicated to this tragic date. A delegation of the Republic of South Ossetia headed by the President of the Republic of South Ossetia took part in the ceremony of laying wreaths and flowers at the Tree of Sorrow monument at the City of Angels memorial cemetery in Beslan.
This year marked the 250th anniversary of Ossetia joining the Russian Federation. On the occasion of this significant date, from 8 to 15 October in Moscow were held events dedicated to the Days of Ossetian Culture with participation of the State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Republic of South Ossetia “Simd” named after B. Galaev, the North Ossetian State Academic Dance Ensemble “Alan” and the North Ossetian State Academic Theatre named after V. Tkhapsaev. Events were also held in Vladikavkaz and Tskhinval.
On 1 December, the XI Congress of the Ossetian people took place in Vladikavkaz under the motto: “As a part of Russia, we will preserve our history, language and identity”, bringing together Ossetians from all regions of Russia and abroad.
Work of the Ministry:
In 2024, the Council of Young Diplomats was established in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia with the aim of intensifying work with young employees, ensuring continuity and maintaining the traditions of the South Ossetian diplomatic service and supporting the growth of professionalism and qualifications of young personnel. The first meeting of the Council was held on 9 September. The main goals and objectives of the Council of Young Diplomats are to assist in the professional adaptation and development of young staff newly employed by the Ministry, as well as to promote and maintain networking with young diplomats from foreign countries and youth organizations. In particular, in the reporting year cooperation was established with similar structures of the Foreign Ministries of Russia and Abkhazia.
During the year the work on improvement of the institutional legal base in accordance with the legislation on state civil service, as well as the Law of the Republic of South Ossetia “On peculiarities of state civil service in the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia” continued.
In 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia held a competitive tender for inclusion in the personnel reserve of the Ministry to fill the main and leading groups of positions of the state civil service, according to the results of which 8 candidates were includedin the personnel reserve.