APPEAL OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH OSSETIA TO THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION B. N. YELTSIN

The Supreme council of the Republic of South Ossetia gives the high assessment to the efforts made by the Parliament, the people’s deputies and the President of the Russian Federation for stopping the aggression of the Republic of Georgia and regulating the situation in South Ossetia. As a result of these efforts, as well as of Kazbegi and Dagomis Agreements, the speeches by B.N. Yeltsin, A.V. Rutsko and R.I. Khasbulatov the peacekeeping forces have been deployed in South Ossetia, thus putting an end to the genocide of South Ossetian people and providing the ground for restoring the economy and settling the issue of the status of South Ossetia through the different way.

At the same time the people and the government of South Ossetia are deeply disturbed with the political situation in the Republic of Georgia and continued aggression in Abkhazia, and there is a no doubt that chauvinistic policy of the Government of Georgia led by “peacekeeper” Shevardnadze will be deepened, as well as the extremely tough position towards the small nations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

All of the aforementioned make us appeal to the Congress of the People’s deputies of Russia and ask for regulation of situation at the southern borders of Russia – the political status of the Republic of South Ossetia in compliance with the results of the Referendum of the Republic of South Ossetia held on 19 January 1992. The said Referendum lays the ground to the comprehensive regulation of the problem in accord to the international norms.

In should be mentioned that until 1917 South Ossetia was a part of the united Ossetia and since 1774 it had been subordinated to the Russian state. There are no state-legal bases impeding the restoration of Ossetia’s unity, including the Agreement of 7 May 1920.

The attempts to pose the Caucasus ridge as the “natural border” dividing the Ossetian people have no ground. After suspension of validity of the Constitution of the GSSR there are no legal bases proving the lawfulness of such division.

In the environment of dissolution of the USSR, increased self-consciousness and natural process of sovereign development raising the status of South Ossetia was the logical and political step.

In addition that was a coercive measure conditioned by the need of legal defense and maintenance of the nation and its language vis-à-vis national-chauvinistic attacks of Georgia since 1985.

Today, when the genocide has been stopped in South Ossetia, the further regulation of the situation is a matter of position taken by the independent state, international organizations and, first of all, by the Russian Federation.

Currently, there is a threat against the population and it has increasing character, despite the extremely cautious position taken by South Ossetia, the Russian Federation and the CIS member-states. Shevardnadze’s statements on keeping Georgia as a unitary state, speeches of the political leaders of Georgia and media coverage of the story drive the situation to unleashing the anti-Ossetian attitude.

The threat to the security of the population and the lack of any hope to the constructive dialogue with Georgian authorities make necessary to take the specific measures.

In these circumstances the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia submits its appeal to the Congress with the request to consider the following issues:

1. Recognition of independence of South Ossetia in compliance with the Appeal of 17 November 1992.

2. Unification of Ossetia in compliance with Referendum of 19 January 1992.

3. Conclusion of the Agreement on security measures and mutual aid with the Russian Federation.

The Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia counts on understanding of severity of problem and inadmissibility of applying double standards in the process of regulating the problems of Yugoslavia, Transnistria, Nagorny Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in protecting and supporting the people through the genuine democratic traditions.

11 March 1993

(Conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Documents 1989-2006 (Supplement to “Kavkazskie Sborniki”, edition #1). Collected and commented by M. A. Volkhonski, B. A. Zakharov, N. Y. Silaev. – Moscow, 2008, p. 220-221/in Russian)