2016-09-20 17:19 update: 2018-09-27, 02:08
epa05545841 Russian people cast their ballots at a polling station in Bugry, outside St. Petersburg, Russia, 18 September 2016. Russians are called to the polls on 18 September to vote for a new State Duma, the 450-seat lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia. EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV Dostawca: PAP/EPA Fot. PAP/EPA
The Polish Foreign Ministry does not recognise the outcome of parliamentary elections to the Russian Federation's State Duma conducted in Crimea, which is legally part of Ukraine, reads a statement by the ministry.
The ministry stressed that Poland and the international community have condemned the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, a position that has been confirmed by the UN General Assembly in its March 27, 2014 resolution.
"Preservation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is a crucial condition for a peaceful solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In this context, the election of deputies representing occupied territories puts into question the legitimacy of the elections," the foreign ministry's statement reads in part.
The ministry also stressed it fully supported an OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission statement on initial findings and conclusions on the elections "especially in regard to the electoral period and the organisation of the election campaign." (PAP)
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