No referendum in Russian-occupied regions will have "any legal force” - Georgian FM
Zalkaliani underlined it was “unacceptable” to talk about any referendum when the territory of Georgia was occupied by Russia. Photo: MFA of Georgia
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No referendum in Georgia's Russian-occupied regions will have" any legal force" under the conditions of the occupation, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said on Thursday in response to the information on the de facto authorities in the Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region planning to hold a referendum on joining the Russian Federation.
Zalkaliani underlined it was “unacceptable” to talk about any referendum when the territory of Georgia was occupied by Russia.
There is the decision of the European Court of Human Rights that the occupation is taking place in the occupied regions of Georgia. Therefore, no referendum will have any legal force in the conditions of the occupation, especially when hundreds of thousands of our citizens have been expelled from their homes,” the top Georgian diplomat said.
Zalkaliami noted Georgia was “committed” to the policy of engagement and to sharing benefits that come with Georgia's hoped-for accession to the European Union with citizens on the Russian-occupied territory.
We are consistent with our peace policy. We have said that we will not use force to restore our territorial integrity. This is a legal obligation for us, which is very clearly supported by the international community,” Zalkaliani concluded.
The de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali declared on Wednesday they were set to hold a public referendum to join Russia.
Recognition of independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), two Russian-occupied Georgian regions, by Belarus is not on the agenda, Georgian foreign ministry spokesperson Mari Narchemashvili said on Monday, following comments made by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
A group of Georgian parliament members have asked Sven Mikser, visiting member of the European Parliament, to convey to the European Union the Georgian lawmakers’ preference to have the term ‘South Ossetia’ replaced with ‘Tskhinvali Region’ when making references to the Russian-occupied central Georgian region.
Incidents of borderisation carried out by occupation forces in central Georgia's Kareli Municipality on Friday have been condemned in responses of the official Tbilisi as "destructive" acts amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
De-facto leader of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali’s (South Ossetia) region, Leonid Tibilov, believes there is a possibility the breakaway region’s accession into Russia will be considered in the proposed integration treaty between Moscow and Tskhinvali.
Russia's aggression has “failed to stop” Georgia from moving towards Europe, and the newly created “window of opportunity” is the European Union's “rightful response” to this aggression, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said on Thursday in a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod.
No referendum in the Russian-occupied territories has legitimacy, the Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili said on Thursday in response to the information on the de facto authorities in the Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region planning to hold a referendum on joining the Russian Federation.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani discussed cooperation prospects with Kazakh counterpart Mukhtar Tleuberdi on Thursday.
During a telephone conversation, the ministers talked about the bilateral relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan and the ways to strengthen bonds, especially in transportation and communication fields.
The United States will not recognise the results of any effort by “Russia or its proxies” to “divide sovereign Georgian territory”, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday, following information on plans by Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) to hold a referendum on joining Russia.
Georgia participates in all kinds of international financial sanctions and resolutions that have been used to support Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, President Salome Zourabichvili told CNN on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a federal law ratifying an agreement on dual citizenship for residents of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).