Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is to visit South Ossetia on September 20 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the republic's declaration of independence, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said.

Nicaragua and the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia signed in April an agreement on the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Kokoity said he invited Ortega and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to the republic for the celebrations during his visits to Managua and Caracas in July.

"We have received confirmation from Daniel Ortega," Kokoity said. "Hugo Chavez has promised to definitely visit South Ossetia in the near future, however, since on September 23 Venezuela will hold parliamentary elections he will not be able to participate in the events on September 20," he continued.

He also added that the legendary Argentinean footballer Diego Maradona would also participate in events.

South Ossetia, along with nearby Abkhazia, broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Russia was the first to recognize the independence of the republics in August 2008 after repelling Georgia's assault on South Ossetia in a five-day war. Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru followed suit.

MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti)