Republic of Belarus remains the important humanitarian and cultural partner for South Ossetia, united by a shared history and the memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War. This was stated by Acting Foreign Minister of the Republic of South Ossetia Akhsar Dzhioev.
According to him, the ties between the peoples have deep historical roots.
"We share many historical ties with Belarus. We share a common historical memory—like the Belarusian people, the Ossetians suffered great losses during the Great Patriotic War. I have visited Belarus on numerous occasions and have seen with my own eyes the care and reverence with which this memory is treated there," Dzhioev has noted.
The Minister has emphasized that preserving this memory is the foundation for further cooperation.
"This is, without exaggeration, a sacred moment that unites our people with the Belarusian people, as well as with the Russian people. We must develop possible contacts around this historical memory," he said.
The Foreign Minister stated that, at the current stage, cooperation will be developing primarily in the cultural, humanitarian, and sporting spheres.
"These contacts will be cultural, humanitarian, and sporting in nature. These are the first steps that we will continue to take," Dzhioev has clarified. He has also noted that Belarus has not yet recognized the independence of South Ossetia, but this should not hinder the development of relations.
"Regarding political aspects, it is no secret that the Belarusian party does not yet recognize South Ossetia. But we should not be afraid of this – we must move forward, including with other CIS countries," the Minister stated.
He has added that despite global changes in the world, South Ossetia intends to consistently develop international ties.
Furthermore, the Union State Executive Committee has outlined specific cooperation plans, which, as noted by the Foreign Minister, are expected to be implemented this year.
