| Country |
Date of recognition |
Notes |
 Abkhazia | 19 September 2005 or before[note 1] | Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognized each other's independence on 19 September 2005 or before.[note 1]
Abkhazia has an embassy in Tskhinvali. |
 Iran | — | In July 2019, the South Ossetian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Medoyev said that his country is willing to expand its cooperation with Iran. There are "deep-rooted economic, scientific and cultural ties between Iran and South Ossetian" he added.[1] |
 Nauru | December 2009 | In December 2009, Nauru recognized the independence of South Ossetia. Nauru's foreign minister, Kieren Keke, visited Tskhinvali that year.[2][3] In 2012, the South Ossetian Independence Day celebrations were attended by President Sprent Dabwido, who delivered a speech at the ceremony.[4] In 2018, a South Ossetian delegation visited Nauru and the country's foreign ministry appointed a New Zealander as a representative in Nauru.[5] |
 Nicaragua | 5 September 2008 | On 5 September 2008, Nicaragua became the second UN member state to recognize South Ossetia. |
 Russia | 26 August 2008 | On 26 August 2008, Russia became the first UN member state to recognize South Ossetia. Russia plans on building an embassy in Tskhinval.[6] |
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 30 September 2010 (de facto)[7][8][9][10][11][12] | On 29 September 2010 the SADR Minister for African Issues Mohamed Yeslem Beyssat said referring to South Ossetia: “Western Sahara de facto recognizes the independence of South Ossetia. Now we have to formalise relations de jure, including the establishment of diplomatic relations".[8] The two states have had various formal and informal contacts.[13] |
 Syria | 29 May 2018 | On 29 May 2018, Syria became the latest UN member state to recognize South Ossetia. On 22 July 2018, during the state visit of President Anatoly Bibilov to Damascus, South Ossetia and Syria have signed an agreement on establishing diplomatic ties.[14][15][16] |
 Transnistria | 12 October 1994 or before[note 1] | Representative offices of Transnistria in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been opened.[17]
Representative offices of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Tiraspol have been opened. |
 Turkey | — | South Ossetia and Turkey have no official relations. In 2019, South Ossetia named a representative for Turkey.[18] In 2020, the representative died.
Around 50,000 Ossetians live in Turkey. |
 Tuvalu | 19 September 2011 (withdrawn on 31 March 2014) | In 2011, the government of Prime Minister Willy Telavi recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which had broken away from Georgia and which Georgia viewed as remaining part of its sovereign territory.[19] However, the government of Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga retracted the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 31 March 2014 when Tuvalu's Foreign Minister Taukelina Finikaso signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with Georgia. Tuvalu's Foreign Minister said that his country supports Georgia's territorial integrity in its international recognized borders.[20][21] |
 United States | — | South Ossetia and the United States have no official relations as the U.S. recognizes South Ossetia as part of the sovereignty of Georgia. |
 Venezuela | 10 September 2009 | On 10 September 2009, Venezuela became the third UN member state to recognize South Ossetia. |
