The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns the holding of the presidential elections of the Russian Federation in the occupied regions of Georgia and the illegal opening of polling stations to involve the local population massively. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia publishes a statement about this.

The agency notes that this action is a step against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia by the Russian Federation, which grossly violates the fundamental principles and norms of international law, and completely ignores the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

"Conducting any elections in the occupied regions is illegal in the background of the occupation, which is established by international courts among others, and in the conditions when the population expelled from the occupied territories as a result of ethnic cleansing is still not allowed to return to their homes.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia calls on the Russian Federation to stop its actions against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and to fulfill its international obligations, including the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, brokered by the European Union.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia appeals to the international community to give a proper assessment and respond to other illegal actions of Russia in the occupied regions, which are aimed at encroaching on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," the statement said.

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