“No referendum will have any legal force under the conditions of the occupation,” Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said at the joint press conference after the meeting with his Danish counterpart, Jeppe Kofod, on Thursday.

As Minister noted, the sides discussed the security challenges in the occupied territories during the meeting.

“Of course, it is unacceptable to talk about any referendums when the territory is under occupation. This occupation has not only a political but also a legal assessment. The legal assessment is the ruling by the Strasbourg court stating that the occupation is still taking place. No referendum will have any legal force under the conditions of the occupation, especially when hundreds of thousands of our citizens are expelled from their homes,” Zalkaliani said.

Minister stressed that Georgia is committed to a peace policy and desires to share the benefits of joining the EU with the residents of regions occupied by Russia.

“Against the background of the occupation of Georgian territories,

“It is totally unacceptable to talk about any referendum amid occupation of Georgia’s territories,” said Danish Foreign Minister, Jeppe Kofod, stated during the briefing.

So-called authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali region said on Wednesday that they plan to hold a referendum on joining Russia.