Paper: Russian Official Says North and S.Ossetia Should Unite

Russian leadership has made “a principled decision” on unification of breakaway South Ossetia with the Russian Federation’s North Ossetian Republic, aide to the Russian Prime Minister Genady Bukaev said, according to the Russian newspaper Vedomosty.

The Vedomosty reported on March 23 that Bukaev made the statement on March 22 during a joint session of governmental members of breakaway South Ossetia and North Ossetia held in Vladikavkaz with the participation of Teimuraz Mamsurov and Eduard Kokoity, the leaders of North and South Ossetia, respectively.

Bukaev said that the name of the united republic will be “Alania.” “But there is still much to do for economic integration of the two republics,” the Vedomosty reported quoting Genady Bukaev.

“The Russian Foreign Ministry has refused to comment on the statement [of the Russian PM’s aide],” the Vedomosty reported.

The paper also quoted unnamed source from the Russian President’s administration as saying that although Genady Bukaev was sent in Vladikavkaz to participate in a joint governmental session of South and North Ossetia, “he was not entitled to make a statement of this kind.”

Spokesman of the North Ossetian leader Mamsurov said that currently considerations are underway on creation of “political-economic foundation” for integration.

Construction of a new road, which will connect South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali with the North Ossetia bypassing Georgia villages, as well as construction of a gas pipeline between North and South Ossetia were discussed during the joint session of governments of North and South Ossetia