Recognition of the independence of South Ossetia

The day that the people of South Ossetia have been waiting for almost 18 years has come.On August 26, 2008, the day that the people of the Republic of South Ossetia have been waiting for almost 18 years came: the Russian Federation was the first country in the world to recognize the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia.

Taking into account the free expression of the will of the Ossetian and Abkhaz peoples, guided by the provisions of the UN Charter, the 1970 Declaration on the Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations between States, the Helsinki Final Act of the CSCE of 1975, and other fundamental international documents, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev signed the Decree on the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation.

This great day was preceded by two national referendums on independence held in the republic, 18 years of armed conflict with Georgia, which claimed the territory of South Ossetia after the collapse of the USSR, genocides unleashed by Georgia against the South Ossetians. Thousands of South Ossetian citizens gave their lives for freedom and independence.