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A group of Georgian parliament members have asked Sven Mikser, visiting member of the European Parliament, to convey to the European Union the Georgian lawmakers’ preference to have the term ‘South Ossetia’ replaced with ‘Tskhinvali Region’ when making references to the Russian-occupied central Georgian region.

Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Nikoloz Samkharadze made the suggestion to Mikser, on an official visit to Georgia, over replacing the term in future references during a session of the foreign relations committee of the parliament on Thursday.

Samkharadze said the term ‘South Ossetia’ was not recognised by the Constitution of Georgia, characterising it as a “Stalinist term” and adding it was “not pleasant when the EU or any of our partner states” used it.

Opposition MPs from Strategy Aghmashenebeli and Lelo parties also agreed with the ruling party deputy, who also explained “per modern Georgian legislation, Tskhinvali region fully covers the territory that once was the former South Ossetian Autonomous District.”