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Vladimir Putin's Q&A session 2016

South Ossetia’s accession to Russia not discussed — Putin

"We do not consider our relations with South Ossetia in such context," the president said

© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The issue of South Ossetia’s accession to the Russian Federation is not discussed, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Thursday after the annual televised question-and-answer session.

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President: South Ossetia plans to hold referendum on becoming part of Russia before August

"We do not consider our relations with South Ossetia in such context," the president said.

Putin recalled that Russia had recognized South Ossetia. "I think it was a fundamental strategic mistake of the former Georgian president who launched a well-known military adventure, which was totally unjustified, and eventually lost this territory," Putin said. "That’s his fault."

According to the Russian leader, the question of South Ossetia’s accession to Russia was not discussed in detail with the republic’s head. "He expressed his attitude to the problem saying that the people of South Ossetia want such a referendum to be held," he said. "We cannot oppose this. There are no reasons other than the interests of South Ossetia’s people that we keep in mind." Putin noted that so far it’s unclear what will be used as the basis for this referendum and what the questions’ wordings will be like in their final form. "We will make up our mind depending on this," he said.

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