The Georgian authorities have once again linked the country's prospects of joining the European Union to the restoration of its territorial integrity, while developments in South Ossetia demonstrate the continuing deepening of Russian influence in the occupied territories. These developments come amid ongoing debates over Georgia's foreign policy direction and its relations with European partners.

 

On September 21, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that EU membership without Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region would have no value for the country. He was responding to proposals to consider European integration without first resolving the territorial issue, arguing that such concessions were unacceptable.

The statement came amid the election of Marat Kambolov as the new de facto president of South Ossetia. The former Russian federal official, who is from North Ossetia, received approximately 85% of the vote in the September 18 election. Moscow welcomed the result, presenting it as evidence of the region's desire to further strengthen its ties with Russia.

Kambolov had no previous ties to South Ossetia and assumed the leadership position following the departure of Alan Gagloev, who moved to a position as an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. His election is viewed by Georgian and Western sources in the context of Moscow's continued strengthening of administrative and political control over the region.

The European Union did not recognize the legitimacy of the vote, stating that its results had no legal validity. Brussels also expressed concern over Russia's efforts to integrate South Ossetia into Russian political, military, economic, and legal structures. According to the EU, such steps deepen divisions, threaten regional stability, and violate international law.

 

Statements by the Georgian leadership regarding the conditions for European integration and the election of a new leader in South Ossetia demonstrate how closely foreign policy, unresolved territorial conflicts, and Moscow's influence remain intertwined in the region.

#GEORGIA

#EU

#RUSSIA

#NEWS

22.09.2026 05:41