Abkhazia–South Ossetia relations Abkhazia–South Ossetia relations Abkhazia–South Ossetia relations are bilateral foreign relations between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia, whose international status is disputed - they are both considered part of Georgia by the majority of the world's states. Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognized each other's independence by signing of treaty of friendship and cooperation or before. On 19 September 2005, a day before the 15th anniversary of South Ossetia's independence, President Sergei Bagapsh of Abkhazia and President Eduard Kokoity of South Ossetia signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation in Tskhinvali. The treaty was ratified by South
Russia–South Ossetia relations would become part of Russia within "several years", but later retracted the comments in an interview with Interfax and stated that he may have been misunderstood, and that South Ossetia would not give up its independence. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, whilst in Warsaw, denied that South Ossetia would join the Russian Federation. Lavrov's position was also mirrored in August 2009 by Dmitry Medoyev, who stated that "South Ossetia will be building an independent state". On 17 September 2008, Russia and South Ossetia signed a treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance at the Kremlin in Moscow. According