Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that the plans of Georgia’s de facto Tskhinvali region to join Russia via a referendum would have no legal grounds or force, as the region is occupied by  Russia.

After a meeting with Danish FM Jeppe Kofod in Tbilisi today,  Zalkaliani said  that the occupation of Georgian Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions has not only a political, but also a legal status. 

“This legal status is a recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that the regions are occupied. Under the occupation, no referendum will have any legal force, especially when hundreds of thousands of Georgian citizens have been displaced and they are unable to return to their homes. We have a strong support of the international community and our friends,” Zalkaliani said.

He stated that there are attempts (allegedly by the country’s opposition) “the dire consequences of the Russia-Georgia  2008 war to be repeated and to get Georgia involved in provocations.”

“We will not allow this because we are consistent in our peace policy,” Zalkaliani said, noting that the territories would be reiterated only through a peaceful manner. 

He stated that the Danish FM has plans to visit the occupation line while in Georgia.

The de facto Tskhinvali says that unification with Russia is their “strategic goal.”

The so-called referendum may take place at the end of Spring or early summer.

The Kremlin says that “no decisions” have been made in this regard so far.