OSCE Secretary General: 'Stability in Georgia is vital for the region'
OSCE Secretary General on Georgia
During an official visit to Georgia, OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu stated at a joint press conference with Georgian Dream party foreign minister Maka Bochorishvili that stability in the country is crucial both for the Georgian people and for regional interests. He said the OSCE is determined to show Georgia that it is ready to contribute to strengthening its security in all areas.
Maka Bochorishvili, in turn, said that negotiations on resolving the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts should continue within the OSCE framework, and that every effort must be made to reach a peaceful settlement.
Feridun Sinirlioğlu is visiting Tbilisi as part of a regional tour of the South Caucasus. According to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, “meetings are planned between the OSCE Secretary General and senior officials from Georgia’s executive and legislative branches.”
Sinirlioğlu will also visit the village of Odzisi, located near the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.
Meanwhile, US Congressman Joe Wilson urged the OSCE Secretary General to cancel his visit to Georgia, claiming that the trip could help legitimise anti-democratic actions by the Georgian Dream party.
What did OSCE Secretary General say?
“The OSCE’s Incident Prevention Mechanism has in fact been in place for nearly 60 years. The OSCE is an organisation that has demonstrated the importance of dialogue, especially between regions and states in conflict. We have a range of mediation tools that we apply in such situations, and we are constantly striving to be involved in conflict resolution.
Stability in Georgia is vital both for its citizens and for the interests of the entire region — in terms of ensuring peace and security. In this context, we have been cooperating with Georgia for decades. I want to emphasise once again: we want to show Georgia that we are ready to contribute to strengthening its security by every means available to our organisation.”
What did Maka Bochorishvili say?
“Fifty years on from the founding of the OSCE, we firmly believe that this organisation must be capable of working for the benefit of European security. To achieve this, OSCE participating states must remain committed to international law and the principles on which the organisation is founded.
Today, we discussed the current situation in the region and looked at the challenges facing Georgia. Two of Georgia’s regions — Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region — are under Russian occupation, and the country’s territorial integrity continues to be violated by Russia. You will have the opportunity to visit the occupation line in person, to see with your own eyes the barbed wire running through the heart of our country, and to witness the severe humanitarian consequences of the occupation.
Discussion of the Georgian issue within the OSCE must continue, and every effort must be made to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We value the OSCE’s involvement in the Geneva International Discussions and attach great importance to the effective functioning of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms.
In this context, we believe it is essential to unconditionally resume the Gali IPRM. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure international security and human rights mechanisms have access to the occupied territories. Georgia is committed to peace and stability in the region. Accordingly, I once again emphasise the strength of the Georgian government’s peaceful policy.
I would also like to underline Georgia’s sincere desire to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.”
