Recognising Abkhazia and South Ossetia has created problems in the North Caucasus

Russian political analyst from the Carnegie Foundation Moscow Alexey Malashenko stated on March 12 that Moscow is losing its position in the North Caucasus. He says the most acute problem in that region is Islamisation and the increasing application of Sharia law. North Caucasus peoples are not generally advocating separatism, but wish to live in the Russian Federation under Sharia law.

There is complete misunderstanding between the Russian authorities in The Kremlin and the population of the North Caucasus, says Malashenko. The newly appointed head of the North Caucasus Federal Region has made many promises but it is not yet known what the next steps will be. The recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has confused the leaders of the North Caucasus republics of the Russian Federation, who do not understand why Moscow is resolving all the financial and economic problems of Sokhumi and Tskhinvali when it cannot afford to help the North Caucasus republics, Malashenko says.

Malashenko thinks that South Ossetia is a headache for everybody. The so-called reunification of Ossetia is not much appreciated in North Ossetia. If the situation in this respect does not improve in 1-2 years time serious problems could appear, the analyst states.