FM: Georgia’s future OSCE chairmanship is one of our key priorities, country submitted its application in January

“One of the important issues for us today is Georgia’s future chairmanship of the OSCE. Georgia submitted its application in January this year to chair the OSCE in 2027,” Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said on Imedi TV.

“Georgia is just as much a full-fledged participating State as the others, and it also has the right to express its desire to chair the OSCE. We have never expressed such a desire since Georgia became an OSCE participating State. This is the first time that such a discussion concerning Georgia has taken place within the organization.

“Switzerland currently holds the chairmanship. Very soon, we will have the opportunity to host the Swiss Foreign Minister, as the current Chair-in-Office, and once again discuss Georgia’s future chairmanship,” Botchorishvili said.

According to the minister, the issue is not an easy one, as the decision is made by consensus. She said it is therefore important to work with all participating States to secure support for Georgia’s candidacy.

Botchorishvili also addressed Cyprus’s candidacy, noting that Georgia had supported it, although consensus on Cyprus assuming the OSCE chairmanship in 2027 could not be reached at last year’s OSCE Ministerial Council.

“We supported Cyprus’s candidacy when Cyprus put it forward. Unfortunately, last year, when a decision was supposed to be made on Cyprus chairing the OSCE in 2027, no decision could be reached. Turkey’s position prevented the decision from being adopted, and Turkey’s position has not changed to date.

“We deliberately did not conduct an active campaign for Georgia’s candidacy until now. It was only in September, during the UN General Assembly, that we officially presented our candidacy, precisely because we wanted to make sure that Cyprus was no longer a candidate around which there could be any possibility of reaching consensus.

“The EU can, of course, support Cyprus, but we all know that consensus on Cyprus is impossible. Accordingly, the second candidacy on the table is Georgia, and everyone will have to state their position on Georgia,” she said.

According to Botchorishvili, Slovakia has already publicly expressed support for Georgia’s candidacy, while Georgia is also aware of the positions of several other countries behind closed doors.

“Slovakia has openly stated that it will support Georgia’s candidacy for the 2027 OSCE chairmanship. As for what has been publicly stated, we also know the positions of several EU member states behind closed doors and that they will support Georgia’s candidacy.

“EU member states can agree to take a common position, but within the OSCE, the position of each individual participating State is recorded. Accordingly, every participating State will have to have its own national position regarding Georgia. There may be some coordination among countries, but even one country can block the decision if it wishes to do so. However, this is not an easy matter. There must be serious grounds for such a decision,” Botchorishvili said.

The Foreign Minister said Georgia would continue working with partners to secure support for its candidacy and hoped that consensus could be reached within the organization.

“I certainly have hope. That is precisely why we applied for the chairmanship, and the OSCE Ministerial Council is not far away. It will be held in December, and the decision should be made before then.

“Georgia continues to work with its partners and will continue its efforts to reach consensus, which is not easy within the OSCE. However, the fact remains that Georgia is currently the only candidate regarding which we do not know whether a final decision exists. We know that consensus could not be reached on Cyprus,” she said.

Asked whether any country is blocking Georgia’s candidacy, Botchorishvili said she could not name a specific country at this stage.

“Such a discussion has not yet taken place within the OSCE. It lies ahead of us. Of course, everyone can state their position. At this stage, I cannot name any specific country. There are countries with their own positions, but there is a difference between positions on specific issues and chairing an organization that deals with security in Europe for a country such as Georgia,” she said.

Botchorishvili also stressed the importance of Georgia’s candidacy in view of its geographical location, noting that no country from the South Caucasus has previously chaired the OSCE.

“Another important point is that no country from our region has ever chaired the organization. Kazakhstan was the only country from Central Asia to hold the chairmanship, in 2011.

“The organization covers a broad region. It is not merely an organization of the EU region. It covers a wider area. Important developments are taking place. Geographically, Georgia is, in a sense, at the heart of this organization, and in many respects Georgia could be an interesting country to chair the organization, with its challenges and opportunities and with what Georgia can do to contribute to the organization,” the Foreign Minister said.