US will not recognise results of illegitimate referendum in breakaway Tskhinvali

The United States (US) Embassy to Georgia condemns the decision to conduct an illegitimate "referendum” in Georgia’s Tskhinvali region [South Ossetia], planned for April 9.

The embassy believes that "such provocative actions” erode trust and confidence between Georgians and Ossetians and undermine the significance of the Geneva International Discussions.

"The United States will not recognise the results of an illegitimate referendum that is conducted on Georgian territory without the explicit consent of the Government of Georgia”, the embassy’s statement read.

"Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions are integral parts of Georgia, and we reiterate our strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders”, it added.

The embassy also said that the US identifies the Geneva International Discussions as the correct forum to address the situation in Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. The US Embassy urged all participants to avoid actions, including the proposed referendum, which, they believe, undermine these discussions.

On April 9, breakaway Tskhinvali plans to hold an unauthorized presidential election as well as a plebiscite on renaming the region as ‘the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania’.