MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) - South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity signed a decree Saturday establishing an emergencies ministry for the republic, a government spokeswoman said.
Sergei Sanakayev has been appointed acting emergencies minister.
The Russian emergencies ministry will help set up the new body, which will also be responsible for civil protection of the population, said Irina Gagloyeva, who heads South Ossetia's Information and Press Committee.
Russia recognized South Ossetia and another Georgian republic, Abkhazia, as independent states on August 26, two weeks after a brief military conflict with Georgia over Tbilisi's attempt to retake control of Tskhinvali.
