The European Union on Thursday criticized Vladimir Putin's visit to the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia, saying the Russian prime minister had done so without the prior consent of the Georgian authorities, according to dpa. "The EU does not consider this visit compatible with the principle of territorial integrity nor helpful for the international efforts to stabilise the region," said a statement issued by the Swedish presidency of the EU on behalf of the bloc's 27 member states. Putin visited Abkhazia on Wednesday, when he met the region's pro-Kremlin president, Sergei Bagapsh, and promised more aid from Moscow.
