Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that Tbilisi does not recognize the South Ossetian presidential elections taking place on September 18.
"There are no elections in any 'South Ossetia,' just as there is no such thing as an independent Abkhazia," Papuashvili said.
According to the speaker, a ruling by the Strasbourg court established that Russia "exercises effective control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia." Papuashvili cited this decision to justify the Georgian authorities' position that these territories are under Russian occupation.
"This means that Russia has occupied both these territories; consequently, authority over them is exercised by the Russian Federation, and nothing else here holds any meaning or significance," the head of the Georgian parliament declared.
Papuashvili also stated that the ruling "Georgian Dream" party has made ending the Russian occupation a priority. Discussing relations with Moscow, he noted that Tbilisi is seeking Russia's recognition of Georgia's territorial integrity.
"Our key policy regarding Russia is to have Russia recognize Georgia's territorial integrity. This is, among other things, the main obstacle in Russian-Georgian relations; once our territorial integrity is recognized, all such barriers will be removed,"
Papuashvili concluded.
About a month ago, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova addressed Tbilisi's relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia during a briefing. She stated that Moscow has long proposed that Georgia conclude non-use-of-force agreements with these territories. "As for Tbilisi concluding non-use-of-force agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, we have long urged Georgia to do so and expect the Georgian side to recognize the new geopolitical realities in the South Caucasus and, in the near future, begin practical work on drafting and signing these documents. Such legal obligations would serve as a reliable guarantee against a recurrence of the tragic events of August 2008," Zakharova stated at the time.
Shortly before that, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that Tbilisi would not restore diplomatic relations with Moscow as long as it recognizes the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He added that a peaceful resolution to the conflict surrounding the self-proclaimed republics remains one of Tbilisi's top foreign policy priorities. According to him, Georgian authorities anticipate that a settlement will become possible following "political changes" on Moscow's part.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia were severed by Tbilisi on September 3, 2008—shortly after the war in August of that year and Moscow's recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Since then, Moscow and Tbilisi have maintained contact—including through negotiations and economic ties—but there are no official diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The majority of the world's states continue to regard Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of Georgia. Apart from Russia, only a few countries recognize their independence.
