Will South Ossetia Become Part of Russia?

• 10.20.2015, 19:49
•  Region,  World

President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov is going to initiate a referendum on the republic's entry into the Russian Federation. This was declared in Tskinvali during the meeting with Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, RIA Novosti reports.

"Today's political realities are such that we have to make a historic choice, we must reunite with brotherly Russia and ensure the security and prosperity of our country and our people for many centuries," Tibilov said.

Two referendums for the status of South Ossetia has already been conducted – in 1992 and in 2006. In 1992 the people of South Ossetia approved the decision of their Supreme Council to join Russia, but in 2006 they voted for independence. However, during the recent years discussions on reunification with North Ossetia within Russia have activated. The President of South Ossetia Tibilov is a supporter of this idea. According to him it is for unification with Russia that the people of South Ossetia have suffered for two centuries, resisting "Georgian chauvinism and fascism" and the 2006 referendum vote for independence was not because South Ossetians refused to join Russia, but because the main idea of the referendum was "becoming independent from Georgia."

"I'm going to involve the broadest segments of the population and ask the NGO leaders for their help in organizing the referendum. I am confident that the political parties and the society will support me. The referendum, in the positive outcome of which I have no doubt, will bring together our people and will lead to positive changes," Tibilov said.

It should be mentioned that besides the will of Tskhinvali, the consent of Moscow is also needed. However, Kremlin seems to be indifferent towards such a development.

"It is an independent country recognized by the Russian Federation and we have diplomatic relations with them," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, stressing that they merely discussed integration issues during yesterday’s meeting in Tskhinvali.