The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has expressed concern over the visit of Finland’s Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen to Tbilisi. In response, Georgia has sent an official protest note to the OSCE Secretariat and all participating states.
Based on the statement released by the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the government objects to Valtonen’s decision to join an anti-government protest during her official visit on October 14, describing her public remarks as an attempt to mislead the international community about the political situation in Georgia, The Caspian Post reports citing Georgia Today.
“The Embassy of Georgia in Austria and the Permanent Mission to the OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna have the honour to express the concern of the Government of Georgia regarding the visit of Minister Elina Valtonen,” the note reads.
The Foreign Ministry states that, beyond the official agenda-which included meetings with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, a visit to the occupation line, and discussions with representatives of civil society-Valtonen joined a street protest organized by a “small group of anti-government activists” who had “illegally blocked the main avenue of Tbilisi.”
The Ministry says Valtonen’s public statement “does not reflect reality” and represents “a conscious attempt to mislead the international community about the current situation in Georgia.”
The note further accuses the Finnish minister of violating diplomatic norms and abusing her mandate as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, claiming that her actions “contradict the spirit of cooperation within the OSCE” and “undermine the expected neutrality of the institution.”
“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, and OSCE Rules and Procedures, and contradict the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the statement says.
Elina Valtonen visited Georgia on October 14 as part of an official trip in her capacity as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. During the visit, she spoke briefly with participants of a protest near the Parliament, after which the Georgian government canceled a scheduled meeting between Valtonen and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, citing her alleged participation in an “unlawful rally.”
Valtonen later told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that the meeting was canceled at Finland’s initiative, due to a scheduling change.
The latest exchange has further heightened diplomatic tensions between Tbilisi and Helsinki, with both sides standing by their versions of the events surrounding Valtonen’s visit.
