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Nikoloz Samkharadze: The amendments added to the OSCE report regarding Georgia are absurd – today, the content of observer mission reports is being distorted; tomorrow, they might call us elephants, and such absurdities could end up in a resolution

Nikoloz Samkharadze: The amendments added to the OSCE report regarding Georgia are absurd – today, the content of observer mission reports is being distorted; tomorrow, they might call us elephants, and such absurdities could end up in a resolution
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The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze, criticized the amendments added to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s annual report concerning Georgia.

According to him, the amendments, which refer to the 2024 parliamentary elections, are absurd from many perspectives.

“The first two sentences contradict the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR report. Therefore, I would like to ask the Polish MP who authored this initiative – why is he trying to undermine the credibility of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission? What is the point of such missions if some members of the Assembly choose to question them for personal political reasons or simply because they disliked the election outcome and have friends in opposition parties?

If today we are witnessing distortions of election observation reports, the spread of falsehoods, and the labeling of attackers armed with fireworks and Molotov cocktails as peaceful citizens, then tomorrow, by the same logic, they might call us elephants, and if a majority likes the term, such an absurdity could make its way into a resolution,” said the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

He added that Georgia is an active member of the OSCE and the organization is respected in the country. However, with such absurd statements reflected in additional clauses, the OSCE risks losing its credibility among the Georgian public.

In his speech, Samkharadze also addressed the amendment in the report which describes as alarming the alleged strengthening of ties between the Georgian government and the Russian Federation.

“I believe most members of this Assembly know that Georgia, along with Ukraine, is one of the few countries in this Assembly that has no diplomatic relations with Russia, as 20% of Georgia’s territory is occupied by Russia. What kind of strengthened ties are we talking about? I believe the author of the initiative should present evidence regarding these supposed ties,” said Samkharadze.

He also spoke about Georgia’s integration into the European Union, emphasizing that Georgia’s EU membership is an issue strictly between Georgia and the EU, and is outside the OSCE’s mandate.

At the end of his remarks, Samkharadze criticized the amendment claiming that the Georgian government is trying to consolidate power by passing corresponding laws.

“I would be glad to hear which laws are being referred to, whether they are undemocratic or unconstitutional, and what specific provisions they contain. We cannot just throw out such statements without evidence,” he said.

He also remarked that the OSCE is facing an existential crisis, as it failed to prevent Russian military aggression in Georgia and Ukraine.

“The topic of our debate today is ‘OSCE: 50 Years After Helsinki.’ Unfortunately, I must note that the organization is currently facing an existential crisis. The security architecture it tried to build for member states has collapsed. The sovereign territories of my country have been occupied by Russia for 17 years, and the international community has failed to change the status quo,” Samkharadze stated.

The head of the delegation also addressed attempts by some members of the Parliamentary Assembly to “silence and expel from the organization those delegates who do not share their views.”

"Many of you don’t know that several members of the Assembly sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Portugal requesting that members of the Georgian delegation not be allowed into the country. This is a shameful act that goes against the principles of the OSCE and parliamentary democracy in general,” said the head of the delegation.

The information was released by the Parliament’s press service.

Nikoloz Samkharadze: The amendments added to the OSCE report regarding Georgia are absurd – today, the content of observer mission reports is being distorted; tomorrow, they might call us elephants, and such absurdities could end up in a resolution

The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze, criticized the amendments added to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s annual report concerning Georgia.

According to him, the amendments, which refer to the 2024 parliamentary elections, are absurd from many perspectives.

“The first two sentences contradict the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR report. Therefore, I would like to ask the Polish MP who authored this initiative – why is he trying to undermine the credibility of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission? What is the point of such missions if some members of the Assembly choose to question them for personal political reasons or simply because they disliked the election outcome and have friends in opposition parties?

If today we are witnessing distortions of election observation reports, the spread of falsehoods, and the labeling of attackers armed with fireworks and Molotov cocktails as peaceful citizens, then tomorrow, by the same logic, they might call us elephants, and if a majority likes the term, such an absurdity could make its way into a resolution,” said the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

He added that Georgia is an active member of the OSCE and the organization is respected in the country. However, with such absurd statements reflected in additional clauses, the OSCE risks losing its credibility among the Georgian public.

In his speech, Samkharadze also addressed the amendment in the report which describes as alarming the alleged strengthening of ties between the Georgian government and the Russian Federation.

“I believe most members of this Assembly know that Georgia, along with Ukraine, is one of the few countries in this Assembly that has no diplomatic relations with Russia, as 20% of Georgia’s territory is occupied by Russia. What kind of strengthened ties are we talking about? I believe the author of the initiative should present evidence regarding these supposed ties,” said Samkharadze.

He also spoke about Georgia’s integration into the European Union, emphasizing that Georgia’s EU membership is an issue strictly between Georgia and the EU, and is outside the OSCE’s mandate.

At the end of his remarks, Samkharadze criticized the amendment claiming that the Georgian government is trying to consolidate power by passing corresponding laws.

“I would be glad to hear which laws are being referred to, whether they are undemocratic or unconstitutional, and what specific provisions they contain. We cannot just throw out such statements without evidence,” he said.

He also remarked that the OSCE is facing an existential crisis, as it failed to prevent Russian military aggression in Georgia and Ukraine.

“The topic of our debate today is ‘OSCE: 50 Years After Helsinki.’ Unfortunately, I must note that the organization is currently facing an existential crisis. The security architecture it tried to build for member states has collapsed. The sovereign territories of my country have been occupied by Russia for 17 years, and the international community has failed to change the status quo,” Samkharadze stated.

The head of the delegation also addressed attempts by some members of the Parliamentary Assembly to “silence and expel from the organization those delegates who do not share their views.”

"Many of you don’t know that several members of the Assembly sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Portugal requesting that members of the Georgian delegation not be allowed into the country. This is a shameful act that goes against the principles of the OSCE and parliamentary democracy in general,” said the head of the delegation.

The information was released by the Parliament’s press service.

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