President Zurabishvili condemns "unacceptable" 'presidential elections' in Abkhazia
President Zurabishvili reacted to the de-facto presidential elections in Abkhazia with a statement released on Monday. Photo: President's press office.
Tweet 
Share
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili condemned the so-called 'presidential elections' in the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia in a statement on Monday, stating the Georgian government was joined by its international partners in not accepting the vote.
Zurabishvili reacted to the de-facto election, held in the north-western region on Sunday and denounced by the Georgian foreign ministry and 15 of Georgia's partner countries.
No government of Georgia — present or future — will accept [the elections] until the violated territorial integrity of the unified state of Georgia is restored," Zurabishvili's statement read.
The president's comments also underlined international support for Georgia's territorial integrity and the violation of international law by Russia in 2008 with its recognition of independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), the two regions currently occupied by Russian military.
Zurabishvili also spoke about ethnic Abkhazians and Ossetians in her reaction to Sunday's development, noting the cultural identity of the populations was under threat in the realm of the Russian occupation.
Due to the policy of Russification today, Abkhazian and Ossetian culture, language and identity in general are under greater threat, being on the verge of disappearing. Our joint history is a testament to the fact that without Georgians, national distinctiveness of Abkhazians and Ossetians cannot be saved," the president said.
Social and economic circumstances of the Abkhazian and Ossetian populations were also a point referred to in the statement, with Zurabishvili highlighting the Georgian government doing the "utmost within its ability" to solve their issues in "humanitarian, medical, educational and business interests".
In the official reaction to the de-facto elections, the president expressed her confidence in a prospect of seeing "Abkhazia and South Ossetia return peacefully" to the unified state sphere of Georgia.
Zurabishvili said she would be a "guarantor" of "dignified life, free choice and freedom of speech" for citizens from all ethnic groups in the two regions in the case of a restoration of territorial integrity of Georgia.
“The so-called ‘presidential elections’ are yet another futile attempt to legalise ethnic cleansing, ongoing illegal occupation and factual annexation in the region of Abkhazia”, Georgian Foreign Ministry stated.
The crossing-point that connects the Russian occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region with the rest of Georgia will close at 8 p.m. today, as Tskhinvali is celebrating the 11th anniversary of Russia’s recognition of its “independence”.
The new President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda said that his country “consistently supports” sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and condemns resumption of “borderisation” process on occupied territories. Gitanas Nausėda made remarks during his meeting with the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who paid a visit to Vilnius on August 22.
Fifteen states have released a joint statement condemning the ‘presidential elections’ Georgia’s Russia-occupied Abkhazia region held yesterday. The countries have called on Russia to withdraw its recognition of the ‘independence’ of Russia-occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia. Poland was the initiator of the statement the 15 states have released today.
Co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), who met with the Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani on Wednesday, have released a statement on the “borderisation” process near occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to create a joint strategy with Georgia on how to combat Russian occupation and help both countries become members of the EU.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said today’s second round of so-called presidential elections in the Russian occupied region of Abkhazia is “illegal” and “illegitimate”. Opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia is running against incumbent “president” Raul Khajimba in the second round of elections.
De facto incumbent President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Raul Khajimba has won the so-called presidential run-off, receiving 47.38 per cent of the vote, held in the region yesterday. In the first round of the so-called elections held on August 25, 2019 Khajimba received 24.83 per cent of the vote.