Foreign relations of South Ossetia Foreign relations of South Ossetia The Republic of South Ossetia is a self-proclaimed state which is recognized by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, Nauru, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Transnistria. South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia in 1991, but did not receive recognition from any UN member states until after the 2008 South Ossetia war. Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognized each other's independence on 19 September 2005 or before. In December 2009, Nauru recognized the independence of South Ossetia. Nauru's foreign minister, Kieren Keke, visited Tskhinvali. On September 5, 2008, Nicaragua became the second UN member state to recognize South Ossetia. On
Russia–South Ossetia relations the first Russian Ambassador to South Ossetia, Elbrus Kargiyev, who presented his Letters of Credence to South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity on 16 December 2008. Dmitry Medoyev, the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Republic of South Ossetia to Russia was appointed by Eduard Kokoity as South Ossetia's first ambassador to Russia on 13 January 2009. Medoyev presented his credentials to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on 16 January 2009. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin issued a directive to set up a Russian embassy in South Ossetia in 2009. Eduard Kokoity said during talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that it