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South Ossetian leader denies plans to become part of Russia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-11 19:22

South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity on Thursday denied reports quoting him as saying the Georgian breakaway region intended to become part of Russia, the Interfax news agency reported.

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"I have probably been misunderstood. We are not going to relinquish our independence, which we won at the cost of colossal sacrifices, and South Ossetia is not going to become part of Russia," Kokoity was quoted by Interfax as saying in an interview.

"Yes, many in South Ossetia are talking about reunification with North Ossetia within Russia, and nobody can ban expressing such ideas. But South Ossetia is not going to become part of Russia, it intends to build civilized intergovernmental relations within international law with all states," he said.

Kokoity added that the breakaway republic plans to establish closer relations with Russia through its inclusion in the Union of Belarus and Russia.

Earlier, the Russian news agencies Interfax and RIA-Novosti cited Kokoity as saying in a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that South Ossetia intends to join the Russian republic of North Ossetia and become part of Russia.