Minister: Referendum about Tskhinvali’s joining Russia has no legal power
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, April 12
Georgia’s Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Davit Bakradze says a referendum over South Ossetia joining the Russian is beyond any legality.
The Minister stressed that holding such a referendum would be a ‘rough violation’ of all international regulations and standards.
“This would be an action carried out through violation of all international legal norms and consequently it will have no legal power,” Bakradze said.
The Minister made the statement in response to the recent claims of the de-facto President of Tskhinvali, Leonid Tibilov, who told Russian media the referendum about the region’s joining Russia would be held ‘in the near future, before August’.
Almost all of the international community considers Tskhinvali and Abkhazia 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 adopted the same position, but after several years Vanuatu reversed its decision.
