German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was “absolutely not acceptable,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) and Reuters reported.

“This contradicts principles of territorial integrity as a fundamental right,” she added, in a speech during a visit to Estonia.

Merkel said dialogue should be maintained with Russia, in a form to be decided at a European Union summit scheduled for September 1.