Russia–South Ossetia relations the federal laws, as President of the Russian Federation it is my duty to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they may be." After five days of fighting, on 12 August French President Nicolas Sarkozy brokered a ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia agreed to withdraw from "security zones" in Georgia proper by 10 October. Russia completed the withdrawal on 8 October 2008. On 21 August 2008, the same day as a similar event in Abkhazia, a rally was held in Tskhinval at which the people of South Ossetia appealed to Russian President Dmitry
South Ossetia an "alliance and integration" treaty on 18 March 2015. The agreement includes provisions to incorporate the South Ossetian military into Russia's armed forces, integrate the customs service of South Ossetia into that of Russia's, and commit Russia to paying state worker salaries in South Ossetia at rates equal to those in the North Caucasus Federal District. The Associated Press described the treaty as calling for "nearly full integration" and compared it to a 2014 agreement between Russia and Abkhazia. The Georgian Foreign Ministry described the signing of the treaty as "actual annexation" of the disputed region by Russia, and the