Moscow and Tskhinvali signed on April 7 an agreement according to which Russia will operate military base in the breakaway region for 49 years.

According to the agreement, signed by Russia’s Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Defense Minister of breakaway region Yuri Tanayev, the military base will protect “sovereignty and security of South Ossetia” and “to counter acts of armed attacks by international terrorist formations.”

A similar agreement on operation of a military base in Abkhazia was signed between Moscow and Sokhumi in February, 2010.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that such agreements “signed between the occupant country and the proxy regime created” by Russia “has no legal effects and is invalid.”

“Instead of carrying out its international obligations, Russia strengthens military presence on the occupied territories of Georgia and tries to place the process of creation of military bases for its occupation troops within ‘quasi legitimate’ frames,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry’s statement reads.

“At the same time, it is obvious that such actions of Russia just only promote destabilization in the region and create the favorable ground for constant provocations on the part of Russia and proxy regimes.”