The United States on Monday dismissed elections in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia as illegitimate, and it renewed support for what it called Georgia's internationally recognized borders. In elections Saturday that were widely seen as illegitimate, Abkhazia elected Alexander Ankvaba. “The United States does not recognize the legitimacy or the results of the August 26 so-called elections in the Abkhazia region of Georgia,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “We reiterate our support for Georgia's sovereignty [and] territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” Nuland said. “We urge Russia to fulfill all of its obligations under the 2008 cease-fire agreement, including withdrawal of forces to pre-conflict positions and free access for humanitarian assistance to the territories.”
