Institute for Iranian
Contemporary Historical Studies
 (Foreign Policy Studies)           WWW.IICHS.ORG


National Conference on the Southern Ossetia war; Grounds, Causes and the Outcomes

 

Today’s Georgia, located in northern Caucasus, with 69700 square meters with a population of less than 5 million people, has about 723 kilometers common boundary with Russia, 322 kilometers with Azerbaijan, 310 kilometers with the  coasts of the Black Sea, 252 kilometers with Turkey, and 164 kilometers with Armenia.

 

The largest group of the population are Georgians, then Armenians and Azerbaijanis are in the second and third place regarding the population. Neighboring Russia, the Southern Ossetia with 3900 square kilometers is located in the north of Georgia. Its center is Teskhinvali with a population less than 100000. The population of the autonomous republic of the northern Ossetia within Russian territory is 800000. The people of Ossetia have much common racial and cultural features with Iranians. Most of the population are Christian Orthodox; however about 30 per cent of the population are Muslim. The center of Abkhazia, a region in the coasts of the Black Sea with 8700 square Kilometers is Sukhumi with about 100000 population who are mostly Abkhazian and Cherkassy.

 

Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia was afflicted with the question of the Southern Ossetia and Abkhazia. The people of Ossetia did not accept the arrangements proposed by the Soviets to concede the Southern Ossetia to Georgia. Enjoying the support of the Northern Ossetia and having close ties with Russia, they demanded their separation from Georgia. Eventually, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the provinces of the Southern Ossetia, Abkhazia and Adjaria announced independence.

 

With his slogan, “Georgia for the Georgians”, the president Gamsa Khordia added to the complexity of the question and invaded Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. However, Georgia did not succeed to manage its two autonomous provinces. So, then president, Eduard Shevardnadze concluded Dagomis Treaty with Boris Yeltsin, then president of Russia, according to which, the Russian peacekeeping forces were sent and established in a intervening region with a width of 7 kilometers.

"The abstract of the articles presented in this conference edited in persian language and is available in WORD and PDF formats as follows"

 WORD Format

   PDF Format

 

 

 


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