According to the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson Elina Valtonen stated that the planned meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was canceled not by Georgia but at Finland’s initiative due to a scheduling change, and the Georgian side was informed of this last night.
According to the same source, Valtonen denies the Georgian government’s claim that she participated in any election-related event or spread false information.
“I was there to observe the demonstrations that have been taking place in Georgia for weeks and months. I wanted to express my support for freedom of speech,” the Finnish media quoted Valtonen as saying.
When asked about her thoughts on the Georgian government’s reaction, the head of Finland’s Foreign Ministry responded:
“It is up to the Georgian government to decide how they will react. Unfortunately, I had to respond by canceling the meeting with the Prime Minister in order to hold meetings in Azerbaijan.”
The Finnish media reports that Valtonen left Georgia earlier than planned to meet with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. These meetings were initially scheduled at the start of her visit, but the plan was canceled after Azerbaijan’s leadership traveled to Egypt, where U.S. President Donald Trump was hosting a peace conference regarding the war in Gaza.
For context, according to the Georgian Government Administration, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze canceled a scheduled meeting with the OSCE Chairperson and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, who was visiting Georgia.
“Yesterday, due to her participation in an illegal rally and making false statements, the Prime Minister canceled the scheduled meeting with the Finnish Foreign Minister,” the Georgian government’s statement reads.
Finnish media: Elina Valtonen canceled the planned meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister due to a scheduling change
