MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th August, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with his South Ossetian counterpart Anatoly Bibilov in Moscow on Friday, two days ahead of the 10th anniversary of Russia's recognition of the independence of the breakaway region from Georgia.
On August 26, 2008, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia � another breakaway region of Georgia. On September 9, 2008, Russia established diplomatic relations with both republics.
The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia was signed on September 17, 2008.
The Treaty on Alliance and Integration, which serves as the basis for a phased establishment of closer cooperation between the two countries while maintaining sovereignty of states, was signed on March 18, 2015. The agreement is concluded for a period of 25 years with the possibility of extension for further 10-year periods.
In total, the legal basis for bilateral relations includes over 90 bilateral documents.
Medvedev's first visit to South Ossetia as the Russian president took place on July 13, 2009. On August 8, 2012, Medvedev paid a working visit to South Ossetias capital of Tskhinvali as prime minister. Leonid Tibilov, who served as president of South Ossetia from April 2012 to April 2017, paid Russia seven working visits and one official visit.
On April 10, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to Bibilov, congratulating him on being elected as Tibilov's successor. Putin met with Bibilov in Sochi on May 2, 2017, where they discussed issues related to the economic cooperation between the two countries. On November 14, 2017, President Bibilov paid an official visit to Russia, during which he held talks with Putin. Current issues surrounding bilateral cooperation were discussed and a number of documents were signed.
Bilateral relations of foreign policy departments are actively developing on the basis of multi-level consultations among foreign ministers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with his South Ossetian counterpart Dmitrii Medoyev on July 10, 2017, as the latter was in Moscow on a working visit.
Interparliamentary links between the two countries are also steadily increasing. An agreement between the Russian Federation Council and the South Ossetian parliament was concluded on September 6, 2008. A bilateral interparliamentary commission for cooperation was set up as a result, and it meets twice a year. Members of Russian parliament have repeatedly visited Tskhinvali.
The interdepartmental commission on the development of cooperation with South Ossetia and Abkhazia was established in Russia in June 2012.
Russia provides large-scale financial and socioeconomic assistance to aid South Ossetia's development. Cooperation in this area has become one of the most important areas of the two-way interaction. Currently, more than 90 percent of the republics budget is contributed by Russia.
A bilateral intergovernmental agreement on Russia's assistance to South Ossetia in socioeconomic development was signed on August 26, 2009. The Intergovernmental Commission for Social and Economic Cooperation, established in accordance with the agreement, has the key role in the work in this sphere. The last meeting of the commission was held on December 13, 2017 in Tskhinvali.
At the end of 2014, Russia and South Ossetia approved the 2015-2017 Investment Program to promote the socioeconomic development of the self-proclaimed republic. Within the program, 117 facilities and measures were established, 105 of which were completed in full, while another portion were scheduled to be implemented at a later stage. The program cost amounted to more than 7 billion rubles (about $103 million).
Russia and South Ossetia approved the 2018-2019 Investment Program in December 2017. The new program includes 51 measures and involves more than 4 billion rubles allocated from Russian budget.
The most Russia ever contributed from 2008 to 2017 came close to 60 billion rubles. Dozens of educational institutions were built within the framework of the Investment Program, medical infrastructure was restored, the development of roads and transportation systems was continued and South Ossetias energy security was ensured.
A number of stable enterprises were opened in the republic thanks to Russia. For example, the Tskhinvali garment factory was restored with funds from Russian businessman Taimuraz Bolloev, the head of the BTK-Group company, in 2013; Rostov company Evrodon opened a meat-processing complex Rastdon in 2017; and a group of Russian companies Vladimirsky Standard launched the production of mineral water in Tskhinvali.
The Vladikavkaz-Tskhinvali gas pipeline, a mountain highway Transkam, transmission lines to the Leningor district, and a large number of health, educational and cultural institutions are among the facilities that have been built by Russia in South Ossetia.
Bilateral trade between Russia and South Ossetia in 2017 amounted to $68.768 million, including Russian exports ($58.978 million) and imports ($9.79 million).
In the first half of 2018, Russias trade with South Ossetia amounted to $35.267 million, including $28.184 million in Russian exports and $7.082 million in imports. Russian exports consist of mineral products; food and agricultural commodities; machinery, equipment and transport vehicles; textiles and footwear; chemical industry products; metals and products made of these metals; wood and pulp and paper products. Russian imports from the republic are mostly textiles and footwear; food commodities and agricultural commodities; metals and products made of these metals.
The fourth United Russia Military Base is located in South Ossetia in accordance with a corresponding agreement signed on April 7, 2010. Its task is to protect the sovereignty and security of Russia and South Ossetia. Under an agreement signed on April 30, 2009, South Ossetia delegated authority to Russian to protect its Georgian border. These tasks are decided by the Border Guard of the Russian Federal Security Service in South Ossetia.
On March 31, 2017, Moscow and Tskhinvali reached an interstate agreement to include certain units of the armed forces of South Ossetia in the Russian Armed Forces. This deal was ratified by South Ossetia in July 2017, and by Russia in February 2018.
In accordance with the Constitutional Law on the State Languages of South Ossetia, Russian is one of the two state languages of the republic along with the Ossetic language.
