(RIGA) - The presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland on Thursday urged their former Soviet master Russia to respect Georgia's territorial integrity, after a spike in tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi.

In a joint declaration in the Latvian capital Riga, the leaders of the four ex-communist countries, now members of the EU and NATO, called on "Russia to respect international norms and avoid steps that destabilize the situation in Georgia and the region."

They also hailed Georgia's parliamentary elections as a success and said they had been "held in line with international norms."

"The high turnout is evidence of the democratic maturity of the Georgian nation," Latvia's Valdis Zatlers, Estonia's Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Lithuania's Valdas Adamkus and Poland's Lech Kaczynski said in a declaration issued at their joint news conference in Riga.

The presidents vowed their countries' continued support for Georgia and Ukraine's bid for NATO membership.

Ex-Soviet Georgia voted Wednesday under the shadow of rising tensions with Moscow and fears of post-election unrest.

Polls show pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement likely to retain its majority in the parliament.

Tension over Russia's support for Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia reached fever pitch ahead of the election.

In April Russia's then president Vladimir Putin ordered closer ties with the two breakaway regions, raising tensions with Tbilisi and drawing criticism from the EU, NATO and the United States.

Russia later sent extra forces to Abkhazia in reaction to allegations that Georgia was planning an invasion.

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