Austria Blocks South Ossetian Foreign Minister From Taking Part In Security Seminar

South Ossetian Foreign Minister Dmitry Medoev has been denied his previously planned participation in a seminar for the Regional Security in Southeast Europe Study Group, which is being held from November 7-10 in Austria's Reichenau, the republic's Foreign Ministry website reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2019) South Ossetian Foreign Minister Dmitry Medoev has been denied his previously planned participation in a seminar for the Regional Security in Southeast Europe Study Group, which is being held from November 7-10 in Austria's Reichenau, the republic's Foreign Ministry website reported.

The event was organized by the Austrian National Defense academy, the Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense academies and Security Research Institutes, and the Directorate General of the Austrian Ministry of Defense. The seminar was set to discuss the situation in South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and Medoev's report on the topic "South Ossetia: History and Modern Realities" was also planned.

"On November 6th, less than a day before the start, the organizers of the seminar reported that 'due to security issues' participation of the minister in the symposium of the Regional Stability in Southeast Europe Study group is not possible," the statement said.

South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in 2008 following a deadly incursion by Georgian troops, which was followed by Russian military involvement on behalf of Ossetia. Russia remains one of the few countries to recognize South Ossetia's sovereignty, along with Caucasian neighbor Abkhazia, territories which Georgia maintains are illegally occupied.