New Russian-South-Ossetian treaty fixes their interrelations

A new treaty on strategic partnership and alliance has not become a document to secure the absorption of South Ossetia by Russia, and at present, it excludes the possibility of the "Crimean example." This opinion has been expressed by Russian experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". Politicians of North Ossetia believe that the both parties will benefit from the treaty.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 18, in Moscow, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Leonid Tibilov signed a Russian-South-Ossetian alliance and integration treaty.

According to Sergey Markedonov, the Associate Professor of Foreign Area Studies and Foreign Policy of the Russian State University for the Humanities (known as RGGU), the new treaty on alliance between Russia and South Ossetia actually secures the situation.

"The fact is that Russia is the guarantor of security and operator of budget support. And this fact appeared not yesterday. At present, everything has been clearly described and defined," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Sergey Markedonov.

When commenting on the signed treaty, Konstantin Zatulin, the Director of the Russian Institute for CIS countries, has noted that the new treaty between Russia and South Ossetia does not any more contain paragraphs on merger of Russian and Ossetian law enforcement agencies, since Ossetians were annoyed by those paragraphs.

Konstantin Zatulin has also ruled out the possibility of the "Crimean example" for South Ossetia, although he has noted the presence in South Ossetia of a strong party of supporters of integration with Russia (to be exact, with North Ossetia).

The treaty on cooperation and integration between Russia and South Ossetia will be beneficial for both parties. This opinion was expressed by Professor Akhurbek Magometov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, and a member of the Parliament of North Ossetia.

"The Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia are closely related, and they cooperate starting from the first day of the emergence of this new state. This is very good not only for South Ossetia, a small state, but also for Russia," Akhurbek Magometov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.