KAZAN, May 19. /TASS/. Grigory Karasin, who heads the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council (upper house of parliament), has discussed with Georgian colleagues a referendum in South Ossetia on joining Russia.

"We have briefly discussed this," Karasin told TASS on the sidelines of the 13th International Economic Summit "Russia-Islamic World: KazanSummit 2022."

"This is one of the issues of concern for our Georgian partners, we are carefully watching this," Karasin said.

On May 13, South Ossetia’s Central Election Commission approved and handed over to outgoing President Anatoly Bibilov a package of documents regarding the referendum on accession to Russia. Bibilov ordered to schedule the referendum for July 17.

On March 30, Bibilov announced that South Ossetia would take legal steps to join Russia. Speaking in an interview with TASS, President-Elect Alan Gagloyev said that such a referendum must take place when Moscow will make it clear that the time is right.

The 13th International Economic Summit "Russia-Islamic World: KazanSummit 2022" is held in Tatarstan’s capital of Kazan on May 19-21 with the participation of representatives of 63 countries and 52 Russian regions. This year’s key topics are Islamic finances and partner banking, halal industry, youth diplomacy, developing export, business activity and investments. Events marking 1,100 years of Islam in Tatarstan will take place as part of the summit.

The first KazanSummit was held in 2009 and attended by 250 participants. In 2021 the event drew more than 5,000 participants. KazanSummit is aimed at enhancing cooperation between Russia and the Muslim world.