Tbilisi Protests Voting in Russian Election in Breakaway Regions

Russian ambassador Vyacheslav Kovalenko was summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry on February 26 to explain why Russia hadn’t sought prior Georgian permission to open polling stations for the Russian presidential election in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“The Georgian Foreign Ministry deems holding the Russian presidential election in Georgia’s conflict zones, without the consent of the Georgian central authorities, a violation of universally recognized norms of international law and disregard for the sovereignty of Georgia and insists on a Russian explanation,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Although polling day in Russia itself is March 2, voting has already started in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and will not end until March 2.