Georgian FM on Georgia’s OSCE chairmanship bid: several EU member states have indicated support for Georgia’s candidacy

Slovakia has publicly stated that it will support Georgia’s bid to chair the OSCE in 2027, while Georgia is also aware of several other EU member states that have indicated their support behind closed doors, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said on Wednesday, commenting on Georgia’s OSCE chairmanship bid.

In an interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili noted that EU member states can reach an agreement and adopt a common position, but within the OSCE, the position of each participating state is recorded individually, meaning that every participating country must maintain its own national position.

“There should be serious grounds for blocking a country. Let us see what happens. I am hopeful, and this is precisely why we submitted our bid to chair the organisation. Discussions are ahead and will take place in December, and a decision must be made before then”, the Foreign Minister said.

“Georgia continues to work with its partners to try to reach a consensus, which is not easy within the OSCE. However, the fact remains that Georgia is the only candidate regarding whom we do not know whether a final decision has been reached”, she concluded.