A border fence and banner are seen at the de facto border of Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia near Dvani, Georgia, June 4, 2018. Picture taken June 4, 2018. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili
MARCH 31 – Georgia said on Thursday that plans by the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia were unacceptable, while the Kremlin stressed that no action had been taken to achieve this .
Moscow recognized the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent after a 2008 war with Georgia. It has deployed thousands of soldiers in both regions and provided them with extensive financial support.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Salkaliani was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying: “Of course talk of holding any kind of referendum (in South Ossetia) is unacceptable… when that area of Georgia is occupied.”
An MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Beka Davituliani, said South Ossetia’s plans were a provocation, Interfax news agency reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters he could not comment on South Ossetia’s plans.
“No legal or other action has been taken in this regard,” he said. “But at the same time we treat the opinions of the people of South Ossetia with respect.”
Washington, which has opposed the so-called Russian occupation of parts of Georgia since 2008, would not recognize the results of an attempt “by Russia or its proxies” to split Georgia, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
“Neither the de facto authorities nor the Russian government have the right to make decisions about the future of South Ossetia, which is part of Georgia,” Price told reporters at a news conference, drawing a parallel to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and their recognition in 2014 by breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine before their February 24 invasion.
Georgia’s other breakaway region, Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast, said it supports South Ossetia’s aspirations but does not share its goal of joining Russia.
Moscow has used diplomatic recognition as a tool to maintain an armed presence in breakaway regions of the former Soviet Union, which it considers part of its sphere of influence.
In Ukraine, Russia’s longstanding support for armed separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk gave the country a platform for an invasion. Moscow calls its military action in Ukraine a “special operation” and the West condemns it as an unprovoked war.
Reuters reporting; Edited by Mark Trevelyan and Grant McCool