vladimir_putin

Vladimir Putin. (Official Kremlin photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an order to sign an agreement with the de facto government of South Ossetia about the ‘state border.’

The order instructs the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs to hold negotiations with the de facto government of South Ossetia about the agreement and to sign it in the name of the government of the Russian Federation.

The Government of Georgia on Friday sent a protest note to Russia through the Swiss embassy, expressing opposition to Putin’s decree, as it violates international law and doesn’t have legal force.


The de facto South Ossetian government requested to sign the document with Russia and got a positive response on September 12, when the decree was issued.

Paata Zakareishvili, Georgia’s Minister of Reintegration Issues, on Friday responded to the decree by saying that the agreement between Tskhinvali and Russia will be ‘just a piece of paper’ and no-one in the world will recognize it.

“This is not the first time Russia makes such a decision when it continues the occupation, and of course it is illegal. There is no border between Russia and South Ossetia. This is a border between Georgia and Russia,” he said, adding that it is more important to take care of people living close to these so-called administrative borders, and such decisions have a direct influence on their lives.