Parliament’s Foreign Affair Committee head criticizes OSCE Chair’s visit to protesters as ‘unfriendly act’

Chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze, has strongly condemned the recent visit of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, to protesters gathered in central Tbilisi, describing it as an “unfriendly act” and “a blatant interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.”

Speaking during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Samkharadze said the visit disregarded the fact that, just days earlier, there had been “an attempt to overthrow the government by force” in Georgia.

“As the head of Georgia’s delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I firmly condemn the unfriendly act committed yesterday by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. This was a clear interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country,” Samkharadze said.

He noted that while Valtonen, during her visit to the occupation line earlier during the day, reiterated Finland’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, her actions in Tbilisi contradicted those very principles.

“It is good that Finland supports Georgia’s territorial integrity, and we appreciate that. However, supporting sovereignty also means not interfering in the country’s domestic political processes and, at the very least, distancing oneself from violence. If one cannot even condemn violence, that raises serious questions,” Samkharadze said.

He added that Georgia will raise the issue at the next OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session.
“I promise to bring this matter before the next Assembly. I cannot promise that Ms. Valtonen will still be the Chairperson then - her term ends in about a month - but we will make sure the issue is discussed, as Georgia, a full member of the OSCE, has every right to do so,” Samkharadze said.