The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expresses concern about the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, Elina Valtonen, as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, to Georgia and is addressing a protest note to the OSCE Secretariat and participating states.
As stated in the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry notes in the note sent to the OSCE Secretariat that, in addition to the program envisaged for the official visit to Georgia, Minister Elina Valtonen joined a street rally organized by a small group of anti-government activists and made a statement that is an attempt to mislead the international community about the current situation in Georgia.
“The Embassy of Georgia in the Republic of Austria and the Permanent Mission to the OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna express their deep respect for the OSCE Secretariat and have the honour to express the concern of the Government of Georgia regarding the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, Elina Valtonen, as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to Georgia.
Beyond the scope of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s program, which included a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Maka Botchorishvili, a visit to the occupation line and a meeting with several representatives of civil society, Minister Elina Valtonen joined a street protest organized by a small group of anti-government activists who freely, albeit illegally, blocked the main avenue of Tbilisi on October 14. The public statement made by Minister Valtonen, which does not reflect reality, represents a conscious attempt to mislead the international community about the current situation in Georgia.
These actions contradict the spirit of cooperation within the OSCE and may be considered an abuse of the mandate of the Chairman-in-Office, which undermines trust and the expected neutrality.
These actions are incompatible with the universally recognized principles of international law, including respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, as reflected in the Helsinki Final Act, UN Resolution A/RES/20/213, OSCE Rules and Procedures, and contradict the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry says in a note.
Georgian Foreign Ministry expresses concern over Elina Valtonen’s visit to Georgia and sends a protest note to OSCE Secretariat and participating States
