10 June 2004 17:25
South Ossetian leader says region has legal right to join Russia
[Presenter] South Ossetia wants to join Russia and doesn't want to be part of Georgia anymore. The head of the
self-proclaimed republic, Eduard Kokoyty, is to hand the Russian president and Federal Assembly [upper and lower houses
of parliament] an official request to join Russia.
Kokoyty arrived in Moscow today. He is currently in the State Duma where a meeting of three Duma committees is taking
place. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov are taking part in the meeting which is
discussing the South Ossetian situation.
Kokoyty said that Georgia is not capable of implementing obligations reached in the course of the three-party
commission's agreements and is allowing the situation in the region to escalate.
[Kokoyty, speaking to press in Russian] We consider that we have political, legal and historical grounds to ask for
recognition of South Ossetia and for it to be admitted to the Russian Federation. This is all in accordance with
international laws and international rights and also Russian laws, particularly the law on admitting subjects into the
Russian Federation.
[Aleksey Mitrofanov, Duma deputy from Liberal Democratic Party of Russia] The prevailing opinion in Russia among
deputies, among voters and among the political elite as a whole is that the Georgian regime is basically now trying to
unleash war.
[Presenter] North Ossetia supports South Ossetia's request. RIA [news agency] reports that the North Ossetian
parliament's council today sent a decision on the matter by telegram to the Russian State Duma.
[RBK TV] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
