North Ossetian, Ingushetian MPs agreed on normalization of relations

North Ossetian and Ingushetian MPs have agreed on joint work in order to normalize relations between the two neighboring North Caucasian republics within Russia. The agreement was reached at a meeting of the republics' parliamentary delegations held in North Ossetia's capital Vladikavkaz.

October 1992 saw armed clashes between the law enforcing structures of Ossetia and Ingushetia that escalated into a large-scale confrontation, caused by Ingushetia's territorial claims. The conflict killed about 600 people, more than 60,000 of Ingushes were deported from Ossetia.

According to the MPs, the 1992 events were not a conflict between the two peoples. "It was a conflict between certain powers, but not between Ossetians and Ingushes," said chairman of Ingushetia's parliament Ruslan Pliev. He was supported by his North Ossetian counterpart Taimuraz Mamsurov. "The conflict is not a birthmark we have to live with forever," he said.

The MPs agreed on preparing a joint plan of work for normalizing relations between the two republics.