“No one asks Joe Wilson”: Georgian Parliament official rejects US Congressman’s visa stance

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, has sharply criticised US Congressman Joe Wilson following his initiative to bar the Georgian delegation from attending the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

In his remarks, Samkharadze emphasised that “Joe Wilson has no say in who receives a visa and who doesn’t - and he knows it very well”.

Samkharadze's comments came in response to a letter co-authored by Wilson and other like-minded lawmakers urging the OSCE PA to deny entry or otherwise block members of the ruling Georgian Dream party from participating in an important upcoming session.

Samkharadze asserted that this letter was “doomed to fail”.

“Representatives of our radical opposition recently had an audience with this gentleman [Joe Wilson]. It seems they asked him to draft such a letter. However, this letter lacks any sense or basis. No one asks Joe Wilson who will be granted a visa and who will not. He knows this perfectly well. If he had any concerns, he should have addressed the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly directly. It's interesting that he didn't appeal to the Assembly itself but to one of its member states. So, he himself knows that this is doomed to failure”, the Parliament official said.