Russian, South Ossetian Foreign Ministers Sign 2021-2022 Consultations Plan

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his South Ossetian counterpart, Dmitry Medoev, on Monday signed the inter-ministerial consultations plan for the next two years.

"Today is a good opportunity to continue discussing our bilateral relations and the international agenda. And today we will sign the 2021-2022 inter-ministerial consultations plan, which is aimed at further strengthening our coordination," Lavrov said ahead of the signing ceremony.

According to Lavrov, Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia are building bilateral relations on the principles of partnership and integration.

"We have an intense political dialogue, the presidents of our countries met twice last year. We have very close and rich contacts through the foreign ministries and other agencies that are part of our governments. The legal treaty base, which already includes more than a hundred documents, is being strengthened," the Russian minister said.

Despite the pandemic, bilateral trade is growing, Lavrov added. According to the latest available statistics from the Federal Customs Service of Russia, it increased by almost 20 percent in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

On the night of August 8, 2008, Georgia fired rockets at South Ossetia, with the Georgian armed forces attacking the republic and destroying a part of its capital, Tskhinvali. To defend South Ossetians, many of whom had Russian passports, Moscow deployed its forces and routed Georgian troops from the country in five days.

On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Russian leadership, on multiple occasions, stressed that the decision reflects reality and will not be reversed. Meanwhile, Tbilisi continues to refuse to recognize the independence of the two countries.