S. Ossetia will modernize army to maintain regional stability

Interfax
February 24, 2010

TSKHINVALI - South Ossetia is set to continue modernizing and improving the structure of its national Armed Forces and to develop military cooperation with Russia, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said at a meeting dedicated to the day of the Defender of the Motherland in Tskhinvali on Tuesday.

It is important for the republican army to closely cooperate with the Russian base deployed in South Ossetia, the Russian special force and Russian border guards, he said.

The need to coordinate our joint efforts is obvious, with Georgia still retaining their revanchist ambitions, hosting NATO exercises and continuing provocations on the border with South Ossetia, Kokoity said.

"In this situation, the question of strengthening our national security cannot be put on the back burner, and we will grow our efforts to establish peace and stability in the region, will seek firm guarantees of security as a pre-requisite of the republic's peaceful growth," Kokoity said.

The falsification of the events and outcomes of World War II is raising concerns among all honest people on the planet, including South Ossetians, he also said.