The Republic of South Ossetia is one of the most important subjects of international law in the Caucasus, therefore, the appointment in May 2017 as the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of M. M. Kulakhmetov caused a great resonance. The biography and career growth of the military leader and diplomat are described in this article.
Children and teenagers
Marat Kulakhmetov was born in 1954 in the city of Penza, in the family of a well-deserved military man. His father, Minyur Halilovich, is one of the most prominent representatives of the Tatar people. Born in a large peasant family of the Penza region, Minyur Halilovich in 1947 began serving in the ranks of the Soviet Army as a lieutenant. He resigned as a lieutenant general. In his small homeland, the general is very revered. His eldest son, Marat, having graduated from school, also decided to choose a military career.
The main stages of military service
He graduated in 1980 from the Leningrad Combined Arms Command School. Kirov, the young lieutenant was sent to serve in the Leningrad Military District as commander of a motorized rifle platoon. There, he consistently went from platoon to division commander. Kulakhmetov Marat Minyurovich constantly worked to improve his military skills. After graduating from the General Staff Academy in 2001, Marat Minyurovich was awarded the rank of Major General and was given a direction to serve in the North Caucasus District. In 2004, Kulakhmetov Marat Minyurovich became the commander of the combined forces in South Ossetia, replacing Svyatoslav Nabdzorov at this post.
Service in the North Caucasus
Military clashes in South Ossetia are among the most protracted and bloody conflicts in the post-Soviet space. The first peacekeeping operation of the Russian armed forces was carried out between 1991 and 1993. The co-chairman of the mixed control commission to stabilize the situation on the Russian side was Sergey Shoigu, who served as chairman of the State Committee for Maintenance, Emergencies and the Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters. Then, from Ossetian, Georgian and Russian motorized rifle battalions, mixed forces were created to maintain peace in the region to ensure order in the region.
The situation in the republic worsened after M. Saakashvili came to power. A year later, under pressure from the Georgian president, the parliament made a statement that the peacekeeping forces under the command of Major General Marat Kulakhmetov were not fulfilling their duties. Based on this statement, Georgian parliamentarians accused Russia of maintaining a conflict situation. A year later, the Georgian parliament adopted a resolution on the replacement of the OSPM by OSCE peacekeepers. The Russian authorities said that replacement is possible only after the consent of the South Ossetian authorities to the introduction of the OSCE peacekeeping force.
Tensions grew, and on August 7, 2008, Georgia announced that it was launching a military invasion of the republic, considering the operation to restore constitutional order. The next day, Russian peacekeepers and civilians were shelled. Among the civilian population and among peacekeepers there were a large number of victims. At the same time, observers removed themselves, hastily leaving the territory of the republic. Unions of the 58th Army of Russia were sent to help the OSPM group and a bombardment of military facilities of the Georgian side was carried out.
A tough rebuff led to peace, and instead of the former posts on the territory of the Ossetian republic, Russian peacekeeping forces were deployed - Marat Kulakhmetov led these processes. All actions of the commander of the peacekeeping forces to bring about peace were open, consistent, effective and fully consistent with all international agreements. As a result of the terrorist attack of 2008, 11 people died in Tskhinvali, including the chief of staff of the Russian peacekeepers, and Kulakhmetov Marat Minyurovich was seriously injured.
Diplomatic activities
In August 2009, Kulakhmetov decided to leave military service and switch to diplomatic work, becoming an adviser to Lavrov. In this capacity, Marat Kulakhmetov actively worked in Transnistria and in Central Asia on issues of the Russian military presence. They paid special attention to this post in South Ossetia. On repeated visits, he was provided with substantial assistance in resolving various issues, including socio-economic ones. In the spring of 2017, the adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of South Ossetia with a diplomatic rank.
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to South Ossetia
After the liberation of the republic and the recognition of the Russian Federation by South Ossetia, the post of Russian ambassador since 2008 was held by Elbrus Kargiev, Ossetian by nationality. Residents of the republic greeted the change of ambassador with understanding, as they treat the Russian peacekeepers with great respect. Marat Kulakhmetov is Tatar by nationality, but he knows the history of the Ossetian people, the Transcaucasian realities well. A high level of competence and analytical abilities allow him to be well versed in a large flow of information, to provide Ossetian colleagues with the necessary support in forming a full-fledged diplomatic service.
With the arrival of Marat Kulakhmetov in the republic, the work of the Russian embassy intensified in the direction of strengthening the Russian-South Ossetian partnership. Two-year investment programs (2015-2017) to accelerate the socio-economic development of South Ossetia have been successfully completed in the republic. Currently, capital investment programs for 2018-2019 are being actively implemented.
