Russia\u2019s State Duma has ratified a treaty on \u201cdeepening allied cooperation\u201d with South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway region recognised by Moscow following the 2008 war. In Tbilisi, the agreement is being described as another step towards the de facto annexation of the occupied territory. <\/p>\n
The document was signed on 9 May in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Ossetia\u2019s de facto leader Alan Gagloyev during Victory Day commemorations. It was submitted to the Duma shortly afterwards and ratified on 13 May with minimal debate, News.Az<\/a> reports, citing News Georgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n The new agreement significantly expands integration between Russia and Tskhinvali, with the sides agreeing to coordinate foreign policy, defence, security and border control, align legislation, and create a common space for the movement of capital, goods and labour.<\/p>\n According to News Georgia, one of the most controversial provisions concerns public service, under which Russian citizens and holders of South Ossetian passports will be allowed to hold state and municipal positions in each other\u2019s territories. Officials in Tskhinvali have suggested that, in the future, Russian citizens could theoretically serve in the region\u2019s \u201cgovernment\u201d and even run for the post of de facto president without obtaining South Ossetian \u201ccitizenship\u201d.<\/p>\n South Ossetian Labour Minister Oleg Gagloyev said: \u201cI cannot immediately recall other states where the level of integration and trust has gone so far,\u201d describing the agreement as \u201chistoric\u201d.<\/p>\n In Moscow, the treaty is presented as a continuation of allied relations. Putin said it would help deepen economic cooperation and address social issues faced by residents of the region, while Gagloyev called it \u201ca new stage in the rapprochement of peoples\u201d.<\/p>\n The Georgian authorities have not yet issued an official comment on the agreement, with the silence in Tbilisi itself becoming a subject of domestic debate.<\/p>\n The Gakharia \u2013 For Georgia opposition party accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of \u201ccriminal inaction\u201d, arguing that the process of annexation of the Tskhinvali region has entered \u201can active and highly dangerous phase\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement, the party said recent government actions \u2014 including apologies over the 2008 war, attempts to portray Georgia as the aggressor, and the criminal prosecution of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia over the establishment of a police post in the village of Chorchana \u2014 aligned with Moscow\u2019s interests and the rhetoric of the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali.<\/p>\n The opposition also highlighted the symbolism of the 9 May signing date, noting that Russia has for years steadily integrated Abkhazia and South Ossetia into its political, economic and military structures. Previous \u201ctreaties on alliance and integration\u201d signed in 2014\u20132015 effectively transferred significant control over borders, security and economic affairs to Moscow. Georgian officials at the time condemned those agreements as attempts to annex Georgian territory.<\/p>\n