EU Integration Minister slams vote in South Ossetia:
“Referendum for Tskhinvali to join Russia has no legal power”

Georgia’s top official on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration strongly condemns a planned referendum in Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region about the de facto area joining Russia.

This afternoon Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze said the referenfum, planned to be held before August, was illegitimate, a gross violation of international laws and it would have no legal standing in the international community.

This would be an action carried out through violation of all international legal norms and consequently it will have no legal power,” Bakradze said. 

Georgia’s Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze says this type of referendum violates all international rules and regulations. Photo by the Ministry for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.

The Minister’s comments were made in response to recent claims of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) de facto president Leonid Tibilov, who told Russian media the referendum about the region joining Russia would be held "in the near future, before August. 

Almost all of the international community believed Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia – two occupied regions of Georgia – are integral parts of Georgia. 

Russia and Nicaragua recognised the breakaway regions as independent republics in 2008 in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war. In 2009 Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu took the same step but after several years Vanuatu retracted its view.