Tshinval/Agency Caucasus – Shortly after Kosovo declared its independence in February, the parliament of
South Ossetia
applied for recognition of its independence to Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), the Russian Presidency, the Council of Russian Federation, the State Duma of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the European Union.
It said in the application document that the
South Ossetians
‘ appeal for recognition of their independence complied with the UN regulations and other international agreements of law. It also said that the principle of territorial integrity of states could no longer be given precedence after Kosovo declared its unilateral independence and states unilaterally decided to recognize Kosovo’s independence. Likewise, it was made clear in the application document that the territorial integrity of , which was rendered a hindrance to recognition of
South Ossetia
, was no longer valid. "If a nation has proven capable of organizing its own life and of developing in concordance with generally accepted democratic standards, the only way to grant it its right to decide on its own destiny is peaceful solution," it was written in the application document. Georgian sovereignty over
South Ossetia
had neither legal nor actual justification, it also said.
Dina Alborova, who is closely interested in the conflict between South Ossetia and , said that
South Ossetia
‘s application was of great importance to its future. "It is not expected that
South Ossetia
will be recognized as soon as the document of application reaches the international community. However, they are using their rights following the example of Kosovo. At least, the international community is expected to consider from now on the view of
South Ossetians
too." KU/ÖZ/FT
