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Vyacheslav Gobozov, Chairman of the State Committee for Information and Press of South Ossetia
The past five years have clearly demonstrated that the decisions and actions taken by the leadership of Russia back then were the only true ones and there was no alternative.
However, even today there are people who are trying to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Russian intervention in the events taking place around South Ossetia.
In this connection I would like to emphasize that Russia had not only the right but also the responsibility to actively participate in these processes.
As the successor of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union it was bound to feel historical responsibility for the division of Ossetia, as Ossetia became part of the Russian Empire as a single entity, and was divided into North and South Ossetia much later due to the efforts of the tsarist administration and then the Bolshevik leadership.
Therefore, as a responsible country, Russia could not under these conditions exclude itself from the events in South Ossetia and around it.
I emphasize that Russia's recognition of the South Ossetian state fully complies with all the norms of international law.
Since the formation and legal registration of South Ossetia happened prior to the international recognition of the modern Georgian state, before it became a part of the United Nations and joined the CIS in 1993.
Russia's recognition of South Ossetia was the only right and necessary decision from the point of view of historical perspective.
The divorce of Georgia and South Ossetia was historically inevitable.
Georgian-South Ossetian coexistence, as has been clearly demonstrated by centuries of experience, was possible only within the framework of a totalitarian system and only through broad application of a repressive apparatus, of course, against South Ossetia.
In any other situation such an unnatural alliance immediately produced cracks and had no future.
In this regard, I should mention the illusions generated in certain circles by the coming to power in Georgia of the Georgian Dream coalition.
I have often talked about this issue, so I will be very brief.
First of all, I want to emphasize that South Ossetia is not afraid of a possible rapprochement in Russian-Georgian relations.
We simply see the pitfalls of the process and the true intentions of the Georgian leadership, which lie behind this new pro-Russian orientation of the Georgian Dream.
And first of all, for the leaders of the Georgian Dream, as well as previous rulers of the country, the improvement of relations with Russia is not in the least necessary in order for Russia to help them return South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Georgia.
And this is a very dangerous illusion, because the return of South Ossetia to Georgia by no means could be a question of discussion today or in the future.
The course of the republic of South Ossetia towards independence, the construction of the state and the maximum integration with Russia has no alternative.
Even in the publications of Russian political scientists and journalists, such definitions as five-day war", "the Russian- Georgian war" etc are present.
It is not as harmless as it may seem at first glance, because willingly or unwillingly it purports to represent Russia as an aggressor which has annexed part of the territory of another state.
For there has been no "five-day" or "August" or "Russian- Georgian war."
There have been eighteen years of Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia, of which the Georgian "open field" followed by this Russian operation to enforce peace, and Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, was a part of a climax of a kind, I underline, just a part.
The last five years certainly were not easy for South Ossetia.
The road toward building an independent republic was not without flaws and errors.
Our young nation faces many problems. Most of these problems are known, we do not conceal them.
There is a broad debate outside of South Ossetia as well. I will say even more.
We are interested that the debate about the processes in South Ossetia was even more ambitious, that as many serious, authoritative and impartial scholars, political scientists and public figures take part in it.
And we will do our best to facilitate it. We do not hide any problems and do not ask anyone to paint a rosy picture of what is happening in South Ossetia.
We firmly believe that the building of an independent and viable state is the grand historical task for the people of South Ossetia, the Ossetian people, and they are capable of fulfilling it.
If not yet, it is gradually becoming a kind of Ossetian national idea.
And we are grateful to all those who will stand by us.