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Georgian breakaway 'will join Russia'
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by Dave Keating | September 11, 2008 at 02:25 am
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The leader of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia said today that the new country, whose independence only Russia has recognized, intends to become part of Russia. South Ossetia is made up of a majority of ethnic Ossetians and a minority of ethnic Georgians, although many of the ethnic Georgians have been forced to leave after years of fighting by Ossetian seperatists. For 17 years South Ossetia has been technically part of Georgia, but was de facto independent.
The rest of the Ossetians live on the other side of the mountain range seperating Russia and Georgia, in the territory of North Ossetia, which is part of Russia. South Ossetia joining Russia would unite the Ossetians within a larger country. Russia has never given any serious indication that it would ever give North Ossetia to the new country to create a larger independent Ossetia.
The leader of South Ossetia said Thursday that the breakaway Georgian region intends to become part of Russia, news agencies reported.
Eduard Kokoity's comments -- to a group of Western foreign policy experts meeting in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi -- are the latest confirmation of the tiny region's long-standing efforts to move permanently out of Georgian government control.
"Yes, certainly, we will become part of Russia," Kokoity was quoted as saying by Interfax, "and we are not going to make some independent Ossetia, because our ancestors made this choice, and this is how it happened historically."
Russia recognized South Ossetia as an independent nation, along with another separatist region, Abkhazia, after last month's Russian-Georgian war over the regions.
Abkhazia's leader, Sergei Bagapsh, told the same group Thursday that his region continued to insist on independence, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
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Dave Keating
London, United Kingdom
slstczjq
Australia
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 16:57 on September 11th, 2008
Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 00:29 on September 13th, 2008
Till Abkhazia join the fedreal of Russia, Russia will get a port in black sea finally, even 20years already passed, polar bear make a breakthough at last.
slstczjq has contributed a photo to this story.