Bibilov to Lobby Latin America for S. Ossetia Recognition

The de-facto President of South Ossetia (referred to by Georgian authorities as the occupied Tskhinvali region), Anatoly Bibilov, said today at a congress in Tskhinvali that he expects success in promoting his positions in Latin America.

Bibilov met with South Ossetia’s representative of the de-facto foreign ministry to Brazil, Andrei Tibilov. At the meeting, Bibilov said, “The steps taken and the goals set will ultimately produce good results for us. There is a great frontline of work in Latin America. We should clearly follow the current foreign policy course. I am sure we will definitely succeed.”

Tibilov replied that he would focus his efforts on informing Latin American countries about South Ossetia in his role as representative.

Brazil respects Georgia’s territorial integrity and does not recognize the independence of Georgia’s occupied territories of Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia or Abkhazia.

On May 29, Bibilov announced that his de-facto government was establishing diplomatic relations with Syria, along with the de-facto government of Abkhazia, and that Syria had recognized both regions’ unilateral declarations of independence. The day before Syria announced its recognition, Bibilov, teased the move, telling the Russian news agency TASS, “It's impossible to stop the process of recognizing South Ossetia. We will gradually have a full recognition of our independence. At least one state will recognize us by the end of this year.”

“Everybody needs new friends, especially those countries that have found themselves in a difficult situation, facing military aggression and terrorism,” said Bibilov.

According to the Georgian government, both Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and Abkhazia are illegally occupied by Russia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have each created their own de-facto governments, and there have been violent clashes in the regions since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, including a short but deadly war in August 2008 after which Russian forces built a physical barrier through Georgian territory, formalizing the occupation.

Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are military and financially sustained by the Russian Federation. The only countries that recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states are Syria, Russia, Nauru, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Recognition of Georgia’s territorial occupation renders a nation ineligible to receive direct foreign aid from many sources, including the United States of America.

By Samantha Guthrie

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