Parliament Speaker: no referendum in Russian-occupied territories has legitimacy

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.

In his comments, Papuashvili noted "similar appeals" the de facto authorities in the Russian-occupied territories had made previously. 

There is nothing new in this regard. Such appeals are periodically made from the occupied territories. No referendum in the occupied territories has any legitimacy. Of course, this has no legal consequences,” the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament said.

The de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali declared on Wednesday they were set to hold a public referendum to join Russia.