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Developments in eastern Ukraine

South Ossetia stands by recognition of self-proclaimed Ukraine republics — president

The republic's president says this decision was adopted without hesitation because South Ossetia was in a similar situation at some point

© Stanislav Grigoryev/TASS

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President: South Ossetia hopes to merge with Russia in future

MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. The South Caucasus republic of South Ossetia will not back down from its decision to recognize independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in eastern Ukraine, the republic’s President, Leonid Tibilov, told a TASS news conference. "If we talk about relations between South Ossetia and the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, we’ve accepted the proposals from these republics and took a positive decision regarding their recognition," Tibilov said.

"We adopted this decision without hesitation because South Ossetia was in a similar situation at some point.

"It was clear for us what was going on there so we supported the peoples of Donetsk and Luhansk in their choice," he observed, reflecting on August 2008 events when Georgia attacked neighbour South Ossetia and Moscow's subsequent granting South Ossetia recognition as an independent nation.

"No grounds existed for saying that "certain executive bodies in South Ossetia were opposed to recognition", Tibilov went on.

"Our Foreign Ministry has already held delegation exchanges, representatives of the Donetsk People’s Republic have visited South Ossetia and we have looked into the issues of further cooperation to implement provisions required by presidential decrees," the president said, noting that "systematic work was under way."

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Eastern Ukraine South Ossetia

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

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