“It is essential that the ongoing developments within the country are evaluated objectively,” stated Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili during a joint press conference with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tbilisi.

According to the Foreign Minister, it is imperative that everyone respects the choice of Georgian citizens and the integrity of their elected democratic institutions.

“When assessing processes, it is very important that this is done objectively. When discussing the need for strong democratic institutions, we must not lose sight of the attacks being carried out against them, including the parliament and the president’s institution. These institutions are built with the participation of civil society, which votes in elections and elects the government according to its own free will.

I fully agree with my colleague that, in a democratic state, the people, citizens, and voters, who make the choice, are of vital importance. We all have a duty to protect their decision and to respect the democratic institutions they have elected. In this context, we must also adopt a clear stance: it is neither normal nor acceptable for a democratic state to turn a blind eye to attacks on its democratic institutions.

The rule of law must be applied equally and fairly for everyone, regardless of who the subject may be,” said Maka Botchorishvili.