South Ossetian army starts integration into Russian Armed Forces

Photo: Neli Garabaeva

South Ossetian military units will gradually integrate into the Russian Armed Forces. RF President has signed a corresponding document.

The document entitled ‘An Agreement on procedure of integration of separate military units of South Ossetia into the Russian Armed Forces’ has been published on the Russian government’s official web-portal.

As it is pointed out in the document, Vladimir Putin, has tasked RussianDefense Ministry to negotiate all the details with South Ossetia.

The detailsknown so far

The agreement has become an additional, refining document for the provisions enshrined in the Treaty on Alliance and Partnership between South Ossetia and Russia, concluded in November 2014.

Russian Defense Ministry’s draft document, granting SO citizens a right to serve in the Russian Armed Forces, has been published on the same official legal information web-portal.

Under the document, South Ossetia citizens are entitled to volunteer for contract service in the units of the Defense Ministry’s 4^th military base, stationed in South Ossetia. Those servicemen will receive military pay and all military service allowances in accordance with the Russian norms.

However, the servicemen should be released from military service in South Ossetia in advance. In other words, as it is stressed in the draft, South Ossetian Armed Forces should be downsized by the number of citizens joining the 4^th military base.

Proceeding form the preliminary draft, South Ossetia claims that it will maintain control over its army even after signing the Agreement on procedure of integration of separate military units of South Ossetia into the Russian Armed Forces’

“All changes in the organizational structure will be made by the militaries of the republic upon signing the agreement. Thus, the Defense Ministry will preserve its combat sub-units. This is our firm position,’ South Ossetian RES news agency quoted SO Defense Minister, Ibragim Gasseev, as saying early in March 2017.

Neither the Russian Defense Ministry’s draft, nor the agreement recently signed by the President, feature South Ossetia’s another important request:

that Russia recognize active military service in South Ossetian armed forces and South Ossetian military service record cards.

As South Ossetia RES news agency has recently reportedwith reference to SO Defense Minister, IbragimGasseev, “South Ossetianleadership insists that when joining the Russian army, the servicemen’s military ranks and time-in-service in the national army should be recognized.”

According to the Vedomosti newspaper, similar agreement on South Ossetian KGB (National Security Agency) officers’ service in the RF FSB (Federal Security Service) is expected to be concluded in the near future. As a source close to the Russian special services reported, the draft of this agreement has been also elaborated.

• South Ossetia’s sovereignty has been so far recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Independence or joining Russia- that’s the major issue thatSouth Ossetia is facing. JAMnews political analysis

The opinions expressed in the article convey the author’s terminology and views and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial staff