Georgia: South Ossetia recognizes 'Luhansk People's Republic'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 June 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgia: South Ossetia recognizes 'Luhansk People's Republic', 19 June 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53b2839e33.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 19, 2014
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, itself almost wholly unrecognized as an independent state, has announced its recognition of the "Luhansk People's Republic" as a sovereign, independent country.
South Ossetia – which is recognized as independent only by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru – said its leader, Leonid Tibilov, signed a decree on June 18 following an appeal from the so-called Supreme Council of the Luhansk People's Republic.
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk and Donetsk provinces seized local administrative buildings in April and proclaimed "people's republics."
Russia has not recognized the self-proclaimed entities.
The Ukrainian government considers the pro-Russian rebels to be "terrorists" and has been conducting a military offensive to root out the insurgents for the past few weeks.
South Ossetia and Georgia's other breakaway region, Abkhazia, were recognized as independent by Russia after the brief Russia-Georgia war in 2008.
Based on reporting by South Ossetia's RES new agency
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
