SOCHI, October 20. /TASS/. Any talk about a South Ossetian referendum on accession to Russia is pure populism, a Russian political expert said on Tuesday.

"To raise the issue of [South Ossetia’s] joining Russia now that everything is going to pieces, I mean the established system of relations and balances in a wider area from North Africa to the South Caucasus, is only to complicate the situation," Fyodor Lukyanov, scientific director at the Valdai International Discussion Club, said. "Now, there is a certain, although not very much positive, status quo between Russia and Georgia, with both sides having recognized the existing reality, which is not going to change and which is to be kept so far."

"South Ossetia’s formal accession would change nothing for South Ossetia for the better. But it might cause problems for both South Ossetia and Russia," he said. "So, I think this topic is rather populist and will soon fade away."

The Valdai International Discussion Club was founded in 2004. More than 900 representatives of the global scientific community from 62 states have taken part in the Valdai discussions over the past 11 years. Participants in the club’s annual sessions traditionally meet with the Russian president and senior government officials.

The 2015 Valdai International Discussion Club has brought together over 130 experts from 30 countries.