17:08, 24 August 2014

EU and Georgia announce non-recognition of presidential election in Abkhazia

Flags of the European Union carried by the participants of the action and a concert "We choose Europe". Tbilisi, April 13, 2014. Photo by Edita Badasyan for the "Caucasian Knot"

According to the statement made by Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union (EU), the EU does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework of the presidential election in Abkhazia. In its turn, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) called illegal the presidential election held in Abkhazia. Levent Gümrükçü, Turkish Ambassador to Georgia, has claimed Turkey does not recognize the presidential election in Abkhazia.

The document emphasizes that "the EU supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, as recognized by international law."

The Georgian MFA has called on the international community to condemn the presidential election held in Abkhazia, the "Interfax" reports.

According to Galina Stranichkina, the Speaker of the Parliament of Abkhazia, about one hundred persons from 24 countries are working as international observers at the early presidential election in Abkhazia.