TSKHINVAL, December 27. /TASS/. The South Ossetian authorities hope to reach an agreement with Russia on simplifying the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship, South Ossetia's President Anatoly Bibilov told reporters on Wednesday.
"We expect to sign an agreement with Russia on simplifying the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship. Work on this continues, and the agreement is currently going through different agencies, ministries, departments. I am convinced that soon we will have an opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship," Bibilov said.
He noted that even though the issue is rather problematic, it can still be resolved. "We are on a path of integration processes. An agreement on simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship is an example of this integration process. We need to have some patinece," he added.
According to earlier reports, the South Ossetian authorities hoped that the agreement on a simplified procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for South Ossetians will be signed in 2018. The topic was discussed in November 2017 at the meeting between Bibilov and Russian President Vladimir Putin.