Finnish OSCE Chair Visits Georgia
Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Foreign Minister and the current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, visited Georgia on October 14–15 as part of her tour of the South Caucasus countries.
During her stay in Georgia, Elina Valtonen met with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili. She was also scheduled to meet with GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, until he canceled the meeting over her appearance at what he described as an “illegal rally” on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue.
Elina Valtonen also met with representatives of civil society. On the second day of her visit, she traveled to the Tskhinvali occupation line.
Meeting with Maka Botchorishvili
On October 14, the Finnish OSCE Chair, Valtonen, met with Georgian Dream FM’s Maka Botchorishvili.
“We discussed the unresolved conflict, the need for Russia to fulfil its obligations under the 2008 six-point agreement, and the OSCE’s role,” Valtonen wrote on X, adding that she also conveyed concerns about the current domestic situation in Georgia, stressing, “Safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms is key to resilience and sovereignty.”
“Despite repeated calls from international bodies, including the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, repression against civil society actors, peaceful protesters, and independent journalists continues,” Valtonen added.
“Silencing these voices undermines not only democratic values, but also the resilience of society in the face of growing security challenges,” she further said, stressing that the GD government “must find a way out of the crisis and restore trust in democratic institutions,” while expressing the OSCE’s readiness to help.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry, however, omitted any mention of the OSCE official’s concerns. The MFA also did not report Valtonen’s remarks during the press conference that followed their meeting. Both the Ministry and the pro-government Imedi TV highlighted only the statements made by GD Foreign Minister Botchorishvili.
“The traditional visit of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to Georgia is a clear demonstration of the Organization’s unwavering support for our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a reaffirmation of the importance of keeping the issue of the occupation of Georgia’s territories on the OSCE’s agenda,” Botchorishvili said at the joint press conference.
Botchorishvili also they also discussed the broader situation in the South Caucasus. “Georgia has always been, and remains, an advocate and promoter of peace and stability in the region.”
According to Botchorishvili, the two sides discussed security, human rights, and the humanitarian situation in Georgia’s Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
She also said the two discussed “Georgia’s priorities,” noting, “I also once again emphasized the importance of a meaningful, results-oriented dialogue with the European Union, taking into account our country’s aspirations and geostrategic location, which will be mutually beneficial for both sides.”
At the end of the statement, Botchorishvili reaffirmed GD’s “readiness to continue working within the framework of the OSCE’s independent institutions and generally, within the organization.”
Botchorishvili made no mention of the parts of the talks that Elina Valtonen described regarding the democratic situation in Georgia and the ruling government’s anti-democratic actions and crackdown on dissent.
Valtonen Urges Georgia to Uphold Democracy, Protect Civil Society
At the same press conference, Elina Valtonen said she conveyed to Botchorishvili “serious concerns” about Georgia’s restrictive legislation and the government’s actions targeting civil society, as well as broader issues related to democracy and the imprisonment of opposition figures.
Elina Valtonen stated that the OSCE “appreciates Georgia’s continued engagement in the Geneva International Discussions and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM),” stressing that active participation in IPRM is vital for progress. She added, “The OSCE stands ready to offer expertise in cooperation with the EU Monitoring Mission. Reconciliation and dealing with the past represent crucial elements in building peace for the future, and I encourage continued work in this area.”
Valtonen emphasized inclusive mediation and civil society engagement in all discussions on conflict resolution. She said she had conveyed “repeated serious concerns” of OSCE participating states regarding restrictive legislation hampering the work of civil society, media professionals, and journalists, as well as concerns related to democratic governance.
Referring to recent actions by Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, Valtonen said the freezing of civil society organizations’ bank accounts, following a series of inspections under various laws and amendments to the Law on Grants that limit foreign donor funding without government approval, was “of grave concern.”
“We also strongly condemn the arrests of almost all opposition leaders and call for free, fair, and proportionate legal proceedings for all those arrested for exercising their freedom of expression and assembly,” she continued.
Valtonen underscored the role of civil society organizations, stating, “NGOs, human rights defenders, and journalists, to name a few, are the lifeblood of democratic resilience. They challenge injustice, drive innovation, and hold power to account. Their voices must not only be heard, they must be protected.”
She explained that her visit to Georgia focused on engagement with civil society, adding, “It is so important that in any democracy people argue the choice, and so is the case with Georgia. It will be up to the Georgian people to decide what kind of government, what kind of future they want for themselves.”
“The OSCE comes with principles, , and indeed, in trying to get the Helsinki Final Act, are the ten Helsinki principles, and those do include sovereignty, territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, to which Georgia is certainly entitled to. But the Georgian people are also entitled to those human rights, the freedom of expression, the freedom of political engagement, and all of those liberties which are enshrined in those common principles,” she said.
She concluded by urging the GD government to “find a way out of this crisis and to restore public trust in its democratic institutions,” noting that “the OSCE and its autonomous institutions stand ready to support Georgia in the implementation of relevant commitments on fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.”
When asked whether Georgia is moving toward the European Union, given the current rhetoric of the GD government, Valtonen responded that the reforms that the EU membership requires are up to the people.
She emphasized that while the EU would welcome Georgia’s membership, recent developments have raised questions. “Unfortunately, in recent months we have observed that the Georgian government has not been willing to take many of those steps, or some of the steps it has taken have been in the opposite direction, to rather take away those liberties and not give those liberties where they belong,” she said.
She added, “I would be happy to have Georgia one day in the European Union, but it will be up to the Georgian people to decide their future. They deserve full inclusion in the decision-making process.”
Rustaveli Avenue and Canceled Meeting with Kobakhidze
Later on October 14, Valtonen visited the nightly protest rally on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, where citizens have blocked traffic for more than 320 days. The Finnish foreign minister posted a video on X from the scene, saying, “They have every right to democracy, to freedom of expression and basic human rights,” adding, “We are here to support them.”
Valtonen faced backlash from Georgian Dream members, and her planned meeting with GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was canceled the following morning, on October 15. The GD government administration cited her attendance at an “illegal rally” and her “false statements.”
Meeting with Civil Society
On October 14, Valtonen also met with the representatives of Georgia’s civil society. “The space for civil society and free media in Georgia is shrinking at a worrying pace,” she wrote on X. “Finland continues to fully support Georgian civil society in their aspirations for a democratic and European future.”
Visit to the Occupation Line
On October 15, Valtonen visited the occupation line.
“Today I witnessed the excellent work of EUMM Georgia in maintaining stability on the ground for the benefit of local communities,” she later wrote on X. “The OSCE and our Special Representative Christoph Späti work hand in hand with the mission to support this important effort. As Chair of the OSCE, Finland stands firmly by the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, within its internationally recognized borders, as enshrined in the Helsinki Principles. We call on Russia to fulfil its obligations under the 2008 agreement and withdraw to pre-conflict positions.”
During a press conference on October 14, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian Service asked Botchorishvili whether she would accompany the Finnish minister to the occupation line. Botchorishvili said that Valtonen would be accompanied by the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM).
“It is very important that the Finnish Foreign Minister, as the representative of the OSCE Chairpersonship, visits the occupation line and personally observes the situation on the ground,” she said. “The European Union Monitoring Mission has the ability to accompany the visit and provide relevant information as an observer organization about what is happening along Georgia’s occupation line,” Botchorishvili said.
Also Read:
- 07/10/2025 – Kobakhidze Offers Reset With West, Threatens to End Rustaveli Protests
- 30/09/2025 – 127th Ergneti IPRM Meeting
- 12/09/2025 – US Breaks Ranks as 37 OSCE Participating States Chastise GD
- 28/06/2025 – 64th Round of Geneva International Discussions
- 24/04/2025 – OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu Visits Georgia
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