Brussels, 20/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 16 March, the Swedish Presidency adopted the following declaration, on behalf of the European Union, on the local elections in Abkhazia:
"The EU considers that the local elections held in Abkhazia (Georgia) on 10 March 2001 are null and void. The conditions for fair elections were not met, owing to the absence of 300 000 Georgians from Abkhazia who had been driven out of their homes.
The holding of the elections cannot in any way lessen the need for the Abkhazian side to seek a compromise solution which respects international law and in particular the territorial integrity of Georgia.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the EEA align themselves with this declaration."
You may recall that the Council of Europe had de facto asked the Abkhazian authorities to decided against holding these elections (see EUROPE of 10 March, p.5).