Georgian PM cancels meeting with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Valtonen after her appearance at ‘opposition rally’

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has cancelled a planned meeting with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, during her official visit to Tbilisi, citing her participation in what the government described as an “illegal rally” and her “false statements.”

The Georgian Government on Wednesday said “yesterday, due to the participation in an illegal rally and the dissemination of false statements, the Prime Minister cancelled the planned meeting with the Foreign Minister of Finland.”

Valtonen arrived in Georgia on 14 October as part of her visit in her capacity as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. That same day, she met with Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili before visiting a peaceful demonstration outside the Georgian Parliament, where she recorded and posted a short video message on X (formerly Twitter).

“I am in Tbilisi, in front of the Parliament building. Here people are gathering for a peaceful demonstration. More and more are joining, waving EU, NATO, Finnish, and most importantly, Georgian flags,” Valtonen said in her video statement. “These people are concerned about the direction their country is taking - stripping citizens of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression and assembly. Needless to say, they deserve all these rights, and we are here to support them.”

During her visit, Valtonen also met with representatives of Georgia’s civil society and non-governmental organisations. In another post on X, she expressed concern about the rapid shrinking of space for civil society and independent media in the country, saying, “Finland continues to fully support Georgian civil society in their aspirations for a democratic and European future.”

At a joint press conference following her meeting at the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Valtonen urged the Georgian Government to include civil society in all discussions related to conflict resolution and expressed what she described as the OSCE’s “serious concern” over recent developments in Georgia.

She referred specifically to “restrictive laws that undermine the space for civil society, media professionals, and journalists,” as well as “the freezing of NGO accounts and the arrest of nearly all opposition leaders.” Valtonen called on the authorities to ensure “free, fair, and proportionate legal procedures for all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.”

Highlighting the importance of democratic choice, Valtonen stressed, “in any democracy, it is crucial that people are given a choice - and this applies to Georgia as well. It is for the Georgian people to decide what kind of government and future they want.”

She also reaffirmed the OSCE’s foundational principles established in the Helsinki Final Act, noting that they encompassed both the inviolability of borders and human rights obligations: “These principles fully apply to Georgia — both in terms of territorial integrity and the rights of its citizens to freedom of expression and political participation.”

Valtonen is scheduled to visit the occupation line on 15 October before concluding her official trip and departing Georgia later in the day.