The Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Concerning the Illegal So-called Presidential Elections Held in the Occupied Abkhazia Region

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns the so-called presidential elections in Georgia’s Abkhazia region, occupied by the Russian Federation which grossly violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. 
Against the background of occupation of Georgia’s indivisible regions by the Russian Federation and deprivation of IDPs and refugees of their right to return home, while those who remain are forced to live underconditions of severe human rights violations, any so-called elections held in the occupied territories are unlawful and have no legal effect as they contradict the fundamental principles and norms of international law. 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeals to the international community to properly assess and respond to the actions aimed at violating Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia calls on the Russian Federation to cease actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, to fulfil its international obligations inter alia the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, and to withdraw its forces from the territories of Georgia.