July 13, 2009,
Tskhinval
Beginning of Meeting with President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity
PRESIDENT OF SOUTH OSSETIA EDUARD KOKOITY: Mr President,
We are very happy to welcome you here, to South Ossetia. The people of South Ossetia are grateful to you for your support, for the recognition of our state sovereignty and, as you already heard from the Ossetian elders, we are grateful and appreciative to you for saving our nation from physical extermination.
Today, our entire republic and all of our people are celebrating your arrival. Thank you very much. We welcome you.
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Thank you.
I am really grateful for inviting me to visit your newly born nation, your new state – South Ossetia – which emerged as a result of difficult and dramatic events, and which was indeed supported by the Russian people in the hardest moments. I feel that today’s first brief working visit by the President of the Russian Federation will lay the foundation for our future contacts and for our friendship.
Our nations not only share a great common history, but have also developed a solid regulatory framework for a common future. I am referring to several treaties between the Russian Federation and South Ossetia.
We have launched a number of projects aimed to restore the economy and social services of your republic, and we will certainly progress with their implementation as there is still a great deal to be done. And you should show me where your greatest priorities lie for our efforts to be focused there.
We must maintain our defense cooperation, as we have a corresponding treaty.
Thus, I think that during today’s talks and my brief visit to South Ossetia, we will be able to discuss bilateral contacts, to review general matters, to explore ways to develop our relations, as these, I am sure, are the tasks for us to address.
I would like to thank you once again for your invitation.