HELSINKI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU)'s current presidency Finland said on Monday that the EU does not recognize the outcome of the "referendum" and "presidential elections" in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.

    The declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the EU said that the EU fully supported Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

    It also said that Sunday's referendum contradicted Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the EU considered that the referendum and the elections did not contribute to efforts for peaceful conflict resolution.

    The document called on all involved parties to strictly respect existing agreements and to immediately return to the negotiating table in order to work toward a speedy and transparent solution of the South Ossetian conflict.

    South Ossetia held a referendum on Sunday and preliminary results showed that most of the voters backed independence of the region.

    Breaking away from Georgia's central government in the early 1990s, the region previously held referenda on independence in 1992 and 2001, but their results were not recognized by the international community.