...from a reasonable authority:


"The independence of South Ossetia is not recognized by any other international organization or country, who regard the region, formerly an autonomous oblast within the Georgian SSR, an integral part of the Georgian state. The previous independence referendum, held by the South Ossetian separatists on January 19, 1992, failed to gain any international recognition, since it occurred in the atmosphere of post-war chaos and violated the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia recognized by the international community within the borders of the Georgian SSR."