BRUSSELS, August 28 (Itar-Tass) —— The European Union has refused to recognize the outcome of the presidential elections in Abkhazia, said the statement of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.
The European Union does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which the elections took place in Abkhazia, said the statement.
The head of European diplomacy reiterated “the support of the EU for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty recognized by the international law.” In this context she emphasized the importance of observing the Geneva Conventions to ensure security and stability in the region, the document says.
NATO also announced on Saturday that it refused to accept the results of the elections in Abkhazia.
The holding of such elections is not conducive to a peaceful and lasting resolution of the situation in Georgia, the alliance’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement, in the text of which Abkhazia is called “the Georgian region”.
The Abkhazian Central Election Commission on Saturday announced the final results of the presidential elections held on August 26. According to the results, Alexander Ankvab won the elections. He gained 54,86 percent of the votes and was elected president of the republic in the first round. Sergei Shamba received 21.04 percent and Raul Khadzhimba had 19.83 percent.
According to the CEC, 106,845 residents of the republic participated in the elections — it was a 72-percent turnout.