Tskhinvali's de facto leader, Alan Gagloev, called on the Georgian authorities to recognize the occupied region as independent "not for the sake of politics," but for the sake of "the future" and "justice."
"Recognize South Ossetia. Not for the sake of politics. For the sake of the future. For the sake of justice. So that all the peoples of the Caucasus can live under a peaceful sky," he declared.
On September 20, Tskhinvali celebrated the "35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic." First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko addressed the event, reading a message from Vladimir Putin on support for South Ossetia in matters of security and development.
Georgia and the international community continue to consider the region occupied by Russia. Its "independence" is recognized by only a few countries, namely Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, and Nauru.
