Leader of breakaway South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, in contradiction to earlier comments, said on September 11 that South Ossetia would not forgo its independence by joining the Russian Federation.

The announcement came shortly after Russian and western news agencies reported, quoting Kokoity as telling journalists in the Russian town of Sochi on the same day: “Yes, we will seek union with North Ossetia within the Russian Federation.”

Shortly afterwards, Kokoity, however, said: ““It seems that I was misunderstood.”

“We are not going to say no to our independence, which has been achieved at the expense of many lifes; South Ossetia has no plans to join Russia.”