Putin Signs “Military Deal” with Georgia’s Breakaway S.Ossetia
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, February 7
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the law on ratification of the so called military deal with Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia which envisages the incorporation of the unlawful military units of the occupied Tskhinvali region into the military forces of Russia.
The information was released by Kremlin website on February 5. The bill was passed by Russia's State Duma on January 24, 2018, and approved by the Federation Council on January 31, 2018.
The explanatory note to the law says that the accession of the units into the armed forces of the Russian Federation means enrollment of citizens of South Ossetia for service as part of the Russian 4th military base in occupied South Ossetia under a contract on a voluntary basis.
Upon concluding such contract, a citizen must be discharged from military service in the de facto South Ossetian armed forces and their further active duty will be regulated by the Russian legislation.
The bill was signed in Moscow on March 31, 2017 and was condemned by the United States. The agreement was ratified by the de facto Parliament of South Ossetia on July 21, 2017.
Russian Federation has the similar “agreement” with Georgia’s another Russian-backed separatist region – Abkhazia.
According to the Kremlin website, Putin also signed the law on ratification of the agreement between Russia and occupied Abkhazia on providing drugs to certain categories of Russian citizens, residing on the territory of the breakaway region.
The agreement was signed in Moscow on June 22, 2017. The document aims at ensuring the rights of Russian citizens who permanently live in Abkhazia and have the right to supply medicines and medical products with prescription during ambulatory treatment.
Georgian President’s Advisor for Foreign Affairs, Tengiz Pkhaladze has condemned the ratification of both “agreements”.
“This is a step that will further aggravate the already weak security situation not only in Georgia but especially in the region. The steps once again emphasize that international pressure on Russia should be more active and stronger in order to prevent any other similar steps in the future," said Pkhaladze.
Russia recognized breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states in 2008, in a wake Georgia-Russian August war.
