Georgia has denounced plans by the breakaway region of South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia, stating that is unacceptable .
Russia recognized the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent after fighting a war with Georgia in 2008.
Also, Russia has placed thousands of troops in both regions while also giving them financial support.
On Thursday, March 31, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani was quoted by TASS news agency as saying:
“Of course talk of holding any kind of referendum (in South Ossetia) is unacceptable… when this territory in Georgia is occupied.”
A lawmaker from the Georgian Dream ruling party, Beka Davituliani, said South Ossetia’s plans amounted to a provocation, the Interfax news agency reported.
Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he couldn’t talk about South Ossetia’s plans.
“No legal or any other action has been taken in this respect,” he said. “But at the same time we treat the expression of the opinion of the people of South Ossetia with respect.”
The other breakaway region of Georgia, Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast, said it supported South Ossetia’s aspirations but did not share its goal to join Russia.
“Russia is our strategic partner, a dear and close state, but we in the republic (of Abkhazia) have no intention of joining the Russian Federation,” parliamentary speaker Valery Kvarchia told Interfax.
This is not the first time that Moscow has used official recognition as an excuse to maintain an armed presence in breakaway regions of the former Soviet Union states.
In Ukraine, Russia’s long-standing support for armed separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk gave it a platform to launch a full-scale invasion on February 24.