Tbilisi Angered over Wording of Putin’s Decree

Use of the term ‘Republic of South Ossetia’ in an official decree by the Russian president has angered officials in Tbilisi.

The Kremlin posted on its official website on August 14 a decree by President Putin awarding Russian state medals to 12 residents of breakaway South Ossetia for meritorious service in the education sphere. Ella Jioyeva, the education minister of the breakaway region, was among them. She was referred to in the document as “Education Minister of the Republic of South Ossetia.”

“Russia is ignoring principles of international law even at the presidential level,” Davit Bakradze, the Georgian state minister for conflict resolution issues, said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry always uses in official statements the terms ‘President of the Republic of South Ossetia’ and ‘President of the Republic of Abkhazia’ when referring to the breakaway regions’ leaders.

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