Georgian Foreign Minister: Georgia well-positioned to chair OSCE in 2027

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said on Friday that Georgia had applied to assume the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2027, adding that the challenges facing the country and the opportunities it offers in the region made it a relevant candidate for the role.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Swiss Foreign Minister and current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignazio Cassis, Botchorishvili described the application as an ambitious step, noting that although Georgia had been an OSCE participating State for decades, it had never had the opportunity to contribute to the organisation’s work at this level.

“We believe Georgia is a relevant country to chair this organisation, taking into account all the challenges facing our country and all the opportunities Georgia has in the region”, she said.

The Foreign Minister added that the application was intended to enable Georgia to contribute to the organisation’s development and work, which are founded on dialogue and consensus - principles that have become increasingly difficult to uphold amid growing global divisions.

She noted that Georgia had time to engage with all participating States, including Switzerland in its capacity as the current chair, to seek consensus on the next chairmanship.

“Georgia will work constructively with the current chairmanship as part of this process to contribute to further strengthening the organisation’s work as a participating State”, Botchorishvili concluded.