“I would like to express my gratitude to Feridun Sinirlioğlu for his visit to Georgia,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili during a joint briefing with the OSCE Secretary General.

“Our multiple meetings this year further highlight the significance of the OSCE for Georgia and underscore the Secretary General’s readiness for active cooperation, for which I am sincerely thankful.”

Botchorishvili emphasized that the OSCE Secretary General’s visit carries a vital message and is a crucial step for their relations.

“Georgia is an OSCE participating state, where concerns for European security and cooperation are of utmost relevance. In light of the OSCE’s 50th anniversary, we firmly believe that this organization should be empowered to advance European security. For that to happen, OSCE participating states must remain committed to international law and the principles upon which this organization is founded,” Botchorishvili stated.

During their meeting, the parties discussed the current regional dynamics and examined the challenges facing Georgia.

“Two of Georgia’s regions, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, remain under Russian occupation, with ongoing violations of Georgia’s territorial integrity. You will have the opportunity to visit the occupation line, witness the barbed wire fences dividing our country, and learn about the severe humanitarian consequences of this occupation,” Botchorishvili noted.

She further asserted that discussions regarding Georgia’s situation must persist within the OSCE and advocated for efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“We value the OSCE’s involvement in the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and emphasize the importance of the effective functioning of incident prevention and response mechanisms. In this regard, we deem it essential to unconditionally renew the Gali Mechanism.

Moreover, we believe it is crucial to facilitate access to international security and human rights mechanisms in the occupied territories. Georgia desires peace and stability in the region; therefore, I reiterate the resilience of the Georgian government’s peacekeeping policy,” Foreign Minister Botchorishvili concluded.