Zaza Driaev Explained

Zaza Nodarovich Driaev
Term Start:2019
Party:Political independent

Zaza Nodarovich Driaev is an Ossetian politician from the partially recognized Caucasian Republic of South Ossetia, which most of the UN recognizes as part of Georgia, occupied by Russia. Driaev is the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Ties, and as such, determines much of the foreign policy of the Republic.

Biography

Diraev was elected to the South Ossetian parliament in the 2019 election as a political independent, however, joined the governmental support of Anatoly Bibilov, despite refusing to join his United Ossetia party.[1]

In 2019 Driaev was among the South Ossetian politicians who called on Georgian officials to take down a police post close to the de facto South Ossetian border, namely near the village of Tsnelisi, suggesting the South Ossetian KGB dismantle the post by force. However, despite South Ossetian protests over the police post supposedly being in South Ossetian territory, the post was well outside the demarcated borders of the 2008 ceasefire, and was not removed after an investigation by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism.[2] [3] In 2020 Driaev caved to protesters in Tskhinvali that called for the resignation of the government of Gennady Bekoyev. Driaev announced that he was going to open a parliamentary investigation towards possible censure of the South Ossetian general prosecutor, the cause for the public's dissatisfaction with the government.[4]

Driaev is the co-chairman of the Commission for Cooperation between the Federation Council and the Parliament of the Republic of South Ossetia, as well as the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Ties. In these capacities he met with a delegation of Russian politicians, led by Grigory Karasin, that visited South Ossetia in 2023 to mark the 15th anniversary of Russia's recognition of South Ossetia's independence.[5] [6]

As Foreign policy chairman, Driaev was tasked with establishing a committee to explore possible Belarusian recognition of South Ossetian independence, after the issue was introduced by Alan Tekhov and approved by Alan Alborov.[7] Additionally, he urged the rest of parliament to follow a Russian Duma decree that the United States must end its embargo on Cuba, as well as denounce the death of civilians in the Israel–Hamas war.[8]

In November 2023, Driaev, alongside Sarmat Ikoev, went on a state visit to North Ossetia to meet with their parliament over implementing matching laws on "Physical Culture and Sports" in both North and South Ossetia.[9] [10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'United Ossetia' Loses Seats, Keeps Tskhinvali Legislature Majority . . 13 June 2019 . 29 February 2024.
  2. Web site: Territorial dispute Chorchana-Tsnelisi over old and "fake" maps . eastwatch.eu . 25 August 2019 . 29 February 2024.
  3. Web site: South Ossetia opposes construction of Georgian border checkpoint . . 29 February 2024.
  4. Web site: Tskhinvali protesters go home . . 29 February 2024.
  5. Web site: Grigory Karasin: Russian and South Ossetian MPs will continue making an important contribution to stronger allied relations between our countries . . 28 August 2023 . 29 February 2024.
  6. Web site: A meeting of the Commission on Cooperation between the Russian Federation Council and the Parliament of South Ossetia will be held in Tskhinval . . 11 October 2023 . 29 February 2024.
  7. Web site: Tskhinvali MPs to Apply to Belarus for Recognition of "Republic" . sakartvelosambebi.ge . 29 February 2024.
  8. Web site: Parliament of South Ossetia supported a number of important appeals of the Russian State Duma . . 5 December 2023 . 29 February 2024.
  9. Web site: Парламентарии из Южной Осетии принимают участие в парламентских слушаниях в Северной Осетии . parliamentrso.org . 6 April 2024.
  10. Web site: Югоосетинские депутаты принимают участие в парламентских слушаниях в Северной Осетии . . 17 October 2023 . 6 April 2024.