NATO Condemns S. Ossetia Polls

In a statement issued on November 11 NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Sunday?s independence referendum and presidential polls in breakaway South Ossetia ?serve no purpose.?

?On behalf of NATO, I join other international leaders in rejecting the so-called ‘referendum’ and ‘elections’ conducted in the South Ossetia / Tskhinvali region of Georgia. Such actions serve no purpose other than to exacerbate tensions in the South Caucasus region,? the statement reads.

The NATO Secretary General reaffirmed his support for the territorial integrity of Georgia.

?I call on all sides to act in good faith to conduct negotiations towards achieving a political settlement. Peaceful resolution is the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus region,? Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said.

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