South Ossetia Parliamentary Speaker Znaur Gassiyev said talks this week in Moscow between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity could lead to a merger within a few years time, The (Britain) Telegraph said Friday.

Deputy Speaker Tarzan Kokoiti echoed Gassiyev's comments, saying the breakaway region would soon join with Russia to form a "united Russian state."

"We will live in one united Russian state," Kokoiti said.

The Telegraph said the potential merger would essentially be a mere formality for Russia, which has effectively controlled the republic since its inception during the 1990s.