Putin Offers State Duma to Ratify “Military Deal” with Breakaway South Ossetia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has filed a draft law to the State Duma over the ratification of the so-called military agreement with Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali).

The information was released by the Russian state-led news agency Tass.

The so-called deal was signed by Russia and de facto South Ossetia on March 31, 2017, and it envisages the incorporation of the unlawful military units of the occupied Tskhinvali region into the military forces of Russia.

As Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu explained, the agreement "will affect the further strengthening of security in the region and will undoubtedly serve as another factor for ensuring that what happened in 2008 will be repeated.”

Tass reports that the so-called Minister of Defense of South Ossetia, Ibrahim Gasseev, for his part stated that the signing of the agreement is of great importance for South Ossetia. According to him, when preparing the document with Russia, "a lot of productive work was done and compromises were made on all important issues."

“South Ossetia counts on this agreement to further strengthen the defense and security of the state, and strengthen ties with the Russian Federation,” he stated.

The agreement was ratified by the de facto Parliament of South Ossetia on July 21.

Official Tbilisi has denounced the signing of the document many times, saying this is a “provocative step and unambiguous aggression” against the Georgian statehood, directed towards the destabilization of the situation in the region and the ultimate destruction of the European security system. 

The Russian federation recognized the independence of South Ossetia and the second occupied region Abkhazia in the wake of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Since then, 20% of Georgian territories remain occupied by its northern neighbor.

In November 2016, the Russian State of Duma ratified the similar military “agreement” with de facto Abkhazia.

The agreement on combined forces includes a Russian military base in occupied Abkhazia, two motor rifle battalions, artillery and aviation groups, and a special-purpose detachment.

The mutual agreement was signed in Moscow on November 21, 2015. According to the agreement, the organization and conduct of joint activities will be carried out on the basis of mutual guidelines of the general staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and Abkhazia.

In case of a potential threat of war, troops in the group answer directly to the commander, appointed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: Tass