MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his South Ossetian counterpart Ibragim Gasseyev have signed an interstate agreement on making some South Ossetian military units part of the Russian Armed Forces.

"As before, we consider cooperation between Russia and South Ossetia as one of the stabilizing factors in the Caucasus. We share old-time relations," Shoigu said at the ceremony.

Shoigu recalled that Russia had done its utmost to support South Ossetia in repelling enemy's aggression and was the first to recognize the republic’s independence.

"Before that, starting from 1992 Russia was invariably by South Ossetia’s side, from the every moment a peacekeeping force was moved into South Ossetia. Truce lasted for many years and negotiations continued all the time on establishing peace or achieving a political settlement of relations that had developed due to Georgia’s actions in the previous years," Shoigu said.

"One [agreement] makes some units of South Ossetia’s armed forces subordinate to the Russian Armed Forces. The other concerns the operation of the defense ministries’ courier services," the Russian minister explained. 

For his part Gasseyev thanked Russia and its armed forces for assistance to South Ossetia and for maintaining peace and stability.

"Russia has let us live a peaceful life and build our own future," he said.