The death of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Ossetia to Abkhazia Oleg Botsiev was a painful echo in the hearts of everyone who had the opportunity to work with him. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia Odyssey Bigvava.
"This sad news touched my heart, because we were very close in our work. He was a great professional and senior mentor, played a key role in the implementation of all foreign policy issues and the course of South Ossetia," Bigvava said.
According to him, Botsiev was born and raised in Abkhazia, and therefore, together with his Abkhazian brothers, he was defending the freedom of Abkhazia and his contribution was always highly appreciated in the republic.
Bigvava said that Botsiev's death is a loss for the diplomatic corps, for everyone who has known him.
"His life and work are the example of service to the state and the people. He always defended the interests of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, he did not separate these two fraternal nations. He was a man of high moral values and sociable. I personally was lucky to work with him," said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia and expressed condolences to Botsiev's family and friends.
The head of the official representative office of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic in Abkhazia, Garry Kupalba, said that "Botsiev has recently been seriously ill and has been treated in various medical institutions."
"He is a prominent diplomat, a man who devoted himself entirely to his work. Since 2013, he was the Ambassador of South Ossetia to Abkhazia and has vone a lot for Abkhazia and South Ossetia," Kupalba said .
According to Kupalba, even in the Soviet times, Botsiev was holding various high positions, he was taking an active part in the Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia in 1992-1993, after the war he was working as Minister of Social Security of Abkhazia, the head of the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Abkhazia, in the late 90s during a sabotage act in the Gal district he was seriously wounded.
"Knowing his abilities, the Republic of South Ossetia at one time invited him to become the Ambassador of this Republic in our country. It is very difficult to talk about this kind and sympathetic person in the past tense. The memory of him will remain in the hearts of all who had the opportunity to work and be friends with him," the head of the PMR representative office said.
