Georgia: Russian “presidential elections” in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are illegal, says EU

The EU considers the Russian so-called “presidential elections” polling stations opened in occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia without consent of the Georgian Government illegal, says a Facebook post by the EU Delegation to Georgia.

“The EU remains fully committed to Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.”

The EU also said the “elections” took place in “a highly restrictive environment, under increased systematic internal repression and crackdown on critical voices, with no OSCE/ODIHR observation”.

“This runs contrary to Russia’s OSCE commitments and has denied Russia’s voters and institutions an impartial and independent assessment of these elections,” says the statement by EU High Representative Josep Borrell. 

The European Union has also strongly condemned the illegal holding of so-called “elections” in the territories of Ukraine that Russia has temporarily occupied: Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, as well as in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Find out more

Press release