Alan Gagloyev, the leader of South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia backed by Russia, announced his resignation on Tuesday to become an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an address published on a South Ossetian government website, Gagloyev stated he was resigning with immediate effect to take up a role in Russia's presidential administration, handing over the presidency to his prime minister.
Treaty Implementation and Annexation Dream
Gagloyev said he would be helping to implement a treaty signed between South Ossetia and Russia last year, which he described as bringing forward the “cherished dream” of the tiny territory’s incorporation into Russia. The territory, with a population of around 50,000, first broke away from Georgia amid the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, securing de facto independence with Russian backing.
Historical Context and Recognition
In 2008, Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over the territory, with Georgian forces driven from parts of South Ossetia they had previously controlled. Russia and a handful of other countries subsequently recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region, as independent states. Successive South Ossetian leaders have repeatedly said they want the territory to become part of Russia in the future, but both local authorities and Moscow have stopped short of holding a vote on annexation.
