South Ossetian Foreign Minister Dmitriy Medoev’s Interview to RIA Novosti
Rome, October 17, 2017 – RIA Novosti, Sergey Startsev. South Ossetia (the Republic of South Ossetia) continues its diplomatic work on further recognition of the Republic and extension of international ties in different regions, stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia Dmitriy Medoev in the interview to RIA Novosti, organized during his working visit to the Apennines.
Russia recognized the sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after the August War in 2008. Russian authorities have multiple times stated that recognition of independence of the two former Georgian autonomies reflected the existing realities and was not a subject to review. South Ossetia has diplomatic relations with Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru as well.
“We are planning to expand the geography of our contacts in Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and naturally the CIS countries, as we have an experience of co-residence within the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the states, where Ossetian communities are”, stated Medoev.
“My first foreign visit after my appointment as the Foreign Minister that happened in May I made to Russia, and it was absolutely understandable, as the Russian Federation is our strategic partner, which we have friendly fraternal relations with. Now it is time for a visit to Italy, which is one of those countries that yet in short time after the USSR dissolution, showed interest in South Ossetia”, specified the Minister.
Dmitriy Medoev reminded that yet in 1990’s a representative delegation from Italian unions arrived in South Ossetia. The delegates were strongly interested in the situation in the Republic, destroyed by the war, and concerned themselves with humanitarian issues. “Besides, I have good personal relations with some Italian politicians and public figures, whom I am glad to meet here”, told the Minister.
The South Ossetian Foreign Minister informed that the visit was organized upon an invitation from Alberto Drudi, the Chair of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pesaro-Urbino.
“We received an invitation from Mr. Drudi. The purpose of our visit to Pesaro is to look for the possibilities for economic cooperation and new business partners. We have visited local wineries and a cheese factory, got acquainted with the province and saw things we could base our future economic relations on”, said Medoev.
According to the Minister, winegrowing and winemaking, cheese manufacturing, meat processing as well as mineral water bottling could be areas of mutually beneficial cooperation. The Minister marked that South Ossetia was ready for cooperation in many different areas and would be glad to welcome Italian businessmen in the Republic.
“Another important aspect of my visit is establishment of party-to-party ties. I am a representative of the parliamentary majority the Edinaya Ossetia party (the United Ossetia), and we are interested in establishment and development of party-to-party ties including with the Italian colleagues”, stated Medoev.
The Minister reminded of the existence of the European Association of the Ossetian Communities “Renaissance”, which intends to popularize the Ossetian culture across the continent.
“It has been the 11th time that the Association organizes “The Days of Ossetia in Europe”, and my visit aligned with this cultural initiative conducted in Italy, in which framework I have opened a wonderful exhibition of our artists, entitled Colors of the Caucasus, in Pesaro. I was pleased that the Italians showed keen interest in the contemporary Ossetian art”, noted the Minister.
Mr. Medoev told about the meeting, organized in Rome with a representative of the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia in the European Parliament Giulietto Chiesa, a famous Italian journalist, who “during the years of the blockade of the Republic was in the European Parliament and delivered the truth about what was happening to us to the Europeans”.
We will continue the search of foreign partners among members of parliaments and businessmen as well as among representatives of cultural and academic communities. So far it’s difficult to say where my next visit would be, but there are such plans”, summarized the South Ossetian Foreign Minister.