The Georgian delegation refused to participate in the vote on the “Hague Declaration” at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly plenary session as a sign of protest.

The corresponding statement was made by Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, before the voting.

“I would like to make a procedural remark regarding the voting procedures and present the following statement on behalf of the Georgian delegation. Because certain parts of the amended version of the declaration deliberately distort the political reality in Georgia, grossly misrepresent and falsify facts, completely ignore the violent attacks on state institutions, and arbitrarily interpret the reports of both election observation missions and the ‘Moscow Mechanism,’ thereby threatening Georgia’s national interests, our delegation, as a sign of protest, will not participate in the voting process. It is doubly regrettable that we have to make such a decision precisely in The Hague - the capital of international law. I ask the Secretariat to properly reflect our position in the minutes of the Assembly session. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Parliament of the Netherlands for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of the event,” Samkharadze stated.

The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons, responded to Nikoloz Samkharadze’s remark and said that leaving seats empty in parliament is always the worst option, because democracy is, first and foremost, a joint effort to resolve conflicts.

“Thank you very much, Nikoloz. As you know, even in your country, leaving seats empty was not a good decision, and you are doing exactly the same here. I believe that leaving seats empty in parliament is always the worst option, because democracy is, first and foremost, a joint effort to resolve conflicts,” the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly addressed Nikoloz Samkharadze.

It should be noted that a few minutes after the Georgian delegation left the session, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the “Hague Declaration,” which includes a resolution on Georgia. The main sponsor of the resolution “Protecting the Integrity of Elections and Fundamental Freedoms in Georgia” is American Congressman Joe Wilson.