Georgia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned “presidential elections” held today in occupied Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia as “yet another illegal act of the Russian Federation directed against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“Such provocative actions are aimed to legitimize the illegal occupation of the Georgian regions and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians,” the Ministry asserted in a statement today.
“Given the illegal occupation of Georgia’s two regions and the occupying power exercising an effective control on the ground, the so-called elections cannot have any legal effect,” it added.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry also highlighted that the planned referendum in Tskhinvali Region seeking Russia’s annexation of the region “will likewise be null and void.”
In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia also called on Moscow to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and to reverse its illegal decision on the recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.
Also Read for Context:
- Explainer: Elections in Tskhinvali
- Tskhinvali Leader Plans ‘Legal Steps’ for Joining Russia
- Bibilov on Two Referendums, Unlikely ‘Provocations’ from Tbilisi
- Bibilov to Akhalgorians: Travel to Tbilisi Will Remain Restricted
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