The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on August 29 that breakaway South Ossetia’s plans to hold an independence referendum aims “to deliberately heighten tension and destabilize the situation in the region” which “will lead to a disruption of the peace process.”

In a statement the Foreign Ministry also said that the unrecognized republic's planned referendum contradicts the constitutions of Georgia the universally recognized norms and principles of international law.

“The results of the forthcoming referendum will therefore carry no legitimate or legal force and be duly assessed by the international community,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia has also condemned the intentions of Moldova’s breakaway Transdnestria to hold a similar independence referendum.