Putin puts forward agreement to Russian Parliament on South Ossetians serving in the Russian Army
President Vladimir Putin has put forward an agreement between Russia and South Ossetia for ratification by the State Duma, outlining the procedure for divisions of the armed forces of South Ossetia joining the Russian Army. The relevant document was published on the State Duma’s online database.
The initial document between Russia and South Ossetia was signed in Moscow on March 31.
In the middle of March, Putin gave the order for a document to be signed which would make it possible for soldiers from South Ossetia to serve in the Russian army. The bill had already been ratified by the government. The president’s order instructed the Defense Minister and Foreign Minister to hold negotiations with South Ossetia and to sign a document on behalf of Russia.
The agreement authorizes citizens of South Ossetia to serve at Russian military bases on contract. When signing a contract, a soldier must be released from military service in South Ossetia. The citizen will serve in accordance with Russian law. The agreement was made for the period of validity of the alliance and integration treaty between the two countries that was signed in March 2015.
In November last year, the State Duma ratified an agreement with Abkhazia on a combined force group. It will “determine the designation, order of formation, deployment and use of the combined force group of the Russian Armed Forces and the Abkhazian Armed Forces”.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which were previously part of Georgia, declared their independence in August 2008. Russia and three UN member states – Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru – have recognized the sovereignty of the two republics.