The president of the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia on Friday announced the territory would hold a referendum on July 17 on whether to become part of Russia, Tass news agency said.
Moscow recognised South Ossetia and the coastal region of Abkhazia as independent after fighting a war with Georgia in 2008. It has provided extensive financial support, offered Russian citizenship to their populations and stationed thousands of troops there.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chris Reese)
