South Ossetian President Invites Merkel To Visit Country Through Front Door

Anatoly Bibilov, the president of partially-recognized South Ossetia, on Saturday invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel to come to the country "through the front door" amid reports that the German leader used binoculars to look at a Russian military base on South Ossetian territory during her recent trip to Georgia.

TSKHINVALI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th August, 2018) Anatoly Bibilov, the president of partially-recognized South Ossetia, on Saturday invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel to come to the country "through the front door" amid reports that the German leader used binoculars to look at a Russian military base on South Ossetian territory during her recent trip to Georgia.

"As for the international community and Merkel's trip to the Russian borders, I believe that this trip was not some special thing. From one point of view, it is very good, it means they are interested in South Ossetia ... We receive guests when they come through the door. We invite Merkel to come through the front door, not through the backyard," Bibilov told a press conference in Tskhinvali.

Bibilov suggested that through her binoculars, Merkel saw the development of South Ossetia and the good working conditions of the Russian Security Services office located in the area.

The breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. Georgia still considers the two republics part of its territory.

South Ossetia has been recognized by six UN member states (Nauru, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Tuvalu, and Venezuela), though Tuvalu withdrew its recognition of the republic in 2014. Abkhazias independence has been recognized by seven UN member states (Nauru, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Venezuela). Tuvalu and Vanuatu, however, subsequently withdrew their recognition.