On February 8, Alan Gagloev, the de-facto President of the separatist South Ossetia/Tskhinvali Region, took part in the work of the XXI meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on socio-economic cooperation between South Ossetia and the Russian Federation in Moscow.

According to the press service of the de-facto president of the separatist region, a ceremony for signing the protocol was held following the meeting. On the Russian side, the protocol was signed by Alexandr Novak, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia; on the South Ossetian side, Konstantin Dzhussoev, the de-facto chairman of the separatist government of South Ossetia, signed it.

"South Ossetia is our strategic ally, and we must ensure that its security and socio-economic stability serve Russia's long-term interests, including in the context of new geopolitical realities. Russian-South Ossetian relations have passed the test of time and are built on the principles of alliance and integration," Novak said. He noted the steady positive dynamics in the field of trade and economic cooperation between the countries and announced the readiness of the Russian side to follow its obligations under the Interstate Treaty on Alliance and Integration signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia.

"In 2022, the trade turnover between Russia and South Ossetia amounted to $135.7 million, an increase of 4.2% compared to 2021. With Russian support, socially significant infrastructure projects are being successfully implemented in South Ossetia, and conditions are being provided for improving the well-being of residents and further integration into the common socio-economic, cultural, and humanitarian space with Russia," he said.

Novak called the increase in the investment attractiveness of South Ossetia an important factor in the development of bilateral cooperation between the countries. "We see this as a guarantee of expanding trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation with the regions of Russia, including through the implementation of joint projects that allow developing the industrial and agricultural sectors of the economy in the republic, as well as the service sector," Alexander Novak said.

The head of separatist South Ossetia noted that this was the first meeting of the IPC for him as president. "We are in constant contact with our colleagues from Russian departments. Nevertheless, I consider the format of the meetings of the IGC very important since almost all ministries and departments of our two states are represented here, and we can exchange views and discuss a variety of issues in person. Therefore, I considered it necessary for myself to attend the current meeting of the IPC personally, and I hope that they will now be held regularly and without long breaks," Alan Gagloev said.

Speaking about the changes that have taken place since the last meeting, the de-facto head of South Ossetia noted the need for closer cooperation between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Russian Federation on all issues, but especially on socio-economic ones. "Another development was the special military operation in Ukraine. We can say with confidence that South Ossetia and Russia have once again demonstrated to the whole world their special relations that do not depend on any political situation," he said.

The de-facto president noted that the leadership of the republic had already begun to change the established inefficient approaches to solving various issues of a socio-economic nature and expressed confidence that, with well-coordinated work, South Ossetia would be able to show results not only on the scale of the republic but also on the scale of the entire Caucasus.