MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. South Ossetia will take legal steps for joining the Russian Federation in the near future, its president, Anatoly Bibilov, has said according to the press-service of the United Russia party.
"I believe that unification with Russia is our strategic goal. This is our way and an aspiration of our people. We should move forward along this path. The corresponding legal steps will be made in the near future. The Republic of South Ossetia will become part of its historical motherland - Russia," he said.
Bibilov stressed that South Ossetia, Russia and the whole world were living through an epoch-making period.
"The Russian world today is defending the interests of its adherents, those who are opposed to Nazism, who respect universal humanitarian values and the fundamental rights and norms shared by the entire international community," Bibilov said.
He stressed that the first act of revival of the Russian world occurred in South Ossetia in 2008, when Russia decided to recognize the republic’s independence.
"It was a historical decision that granted the people of South Ossetia the guarantees of peace and a chance to develop. However, the main historical and strategic goal of the Ossetian people - a divided people - is unification within one state - Russia. Our people has repeatedly confirmed this goal," Bibilov said.
Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26, 2008 after Georgia’s armed aggression against Tskhinval. The leaders of Russia have said more than once that the recognition of independence of these two former autonomies of Georgia reflected the existing realities and was not subject to revision. Tbilisi has refused to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to this day.
South Ossetia’s Central Election Commission on March 15 completed the registration of presidential candidates. In the April 10 presidential election the position of the head of state will be contested by the incumbent, Anatoly Bibilov, the republican parliament’s deputy speaker Alexander Pliyev, leader of the political party Nykhaz, Ruslan Gagloyev, parliament member Garry Muldarov and former parliament member Dmitry Tasoyev. Bibilov was elected president in April 2017. Starting from June 2014 he had held the position of parliamentary speaker.