"NATO does not recognise the election held on March 12 in the Georgian region of Abkhazia”, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said in a statement on the so-called elections in Abkhazia today.
Appathurai believes "this election does not contribute to a lasting settlement of the situation in Georgia”.
He once again noted that "NATO Allies do not recognise the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia as independent states”.
The Alliance reiterates its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders”, the statement reads.
So-called parliamentary elections were held in the occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia last Sunday – an event that Tbilisi and the international community deem unconstitutional and illegitimate.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry believes this act is yet another attempt at legitimising the consequences of several waves of ethnic cleansing, military invasion, occupation and lasting aggression by Russia against Georgian statehood.
Abkhazia is a historic part of Georgia, which is only recognised as an independent state by four countries worldwide: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.