Elina Valtonen, the current Chair of the OSCE, has responded to accusations made by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, APA’s local bureau reports.
On her “X” account, Valtonen invited the Georgian prime minister to Finland. She suggested that Kobakhidze meet the free press in Finland and attend any demonstration of his choice.
Valtonen apologized for having to cancel her scheduled meeting with Kobakhidze due to her timetable.
She emphasized that the future of Georgia is determined solely by the Georgian people: "The same applies to every OSCE participating state. For people to be able to exercise this right, they need freedom of speech and free and fair elections with political alternatives to choose from."
For context, Kobakhidze accused the OSCE Chair yesterday of receiving instructions to support a revolutionary process in Georgia. He canceled the planned meeting with Valtonen. According to the Georgian government, this was due to the OSCE Chair’s participation in an illegal rally in Tbilisi and making false statements. The Finnish side stated that the meeting was canceled at their initiative.