Foreign Committee Chair Samkharadze raises occupation issue at OSCE PA winter session

The Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee and Head of the Georgian Parliament’s permanent delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Nikoloz Samkharadze, on Friday addressed the Assembly’s winter session, focusing on the protection of international law and Georgia’s occupied territories.

Speaking at the plenary, Samkharadze stressed the importance of territorial integrity and warned about what he described as troubling global trends. He said the situation is particularly alarming for Georgia, whose regions - Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region - remain under Russian occupation.

He also highlighted the humanitarian situation in the occupied areas, claiming Russian-backed de facto authorities restrict ethnic Georgian children from receiving education in their native language and alter Georgian religious and cultural heritage sites.

Samkharadze criticised what he called inconsistent positions by some European partners, noting that several countries and the EU still avoid officially describing Russia’s presence in the regions as occupation while maintaining ties with states recognising their “independence”.

He urged international partners to remain consistent in defending international law.

The 25th winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is being held in Vienna, with Samkharadze and Georgian MP Eka Sepashvili participating, according to the Parliament’s press service.