Statement to the Media by Maka Botchorishvili, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia Following the Meeting with Ignazio Cassis, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Today, Georgia is hosting Mr Ignazio Cassis, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, in his capacity as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. 

Throughout this year, we have had several opportunities to meet in various formats and discuss both the OSCE agenda and issues concerning Georgia and the region.

Despite the frequency of our communication, the visit by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office holds particular significance for us as a participating State of the OSCE. I would therefore like to thank Mr Ignazio Cassis for visiting Georgia.

At today’s meeting, we discussed ongoing developments in our region, opportunities for cooperation within the OSCE framework, the challenges facing Georgia and the role of the Organization.

The traditional visit by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to Georgia  is a clear testament to the fact that support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remains an important item on the Organization’s agenda.

This is particularly important to us in light of the complex geopolitical context prevailing today.

Switzerland, for its part, is a particularly important partner for Georgia. In addition to its OSCE Chairpersonship, Switzerland has for many years acted as an intermediary in relations between Russia and Georgia. The combination of these two roles makes Switzerland particularly important to our country.

In view of the consequences of the Russia-Georgia conflict, the search for peaceful solutions to the conflict and the use of all available instruments to this end remain a priority for Georgia.

The OSCE is one of the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID). The Geneva International Discussions remain the only framework that provides an opportunity for dialogue on an issue of paramount national importance to our country: Russia’s occupation of two regions of Georgia and its severe consequences. It is therefore important for Georgia to continue working within this format and to ensure the engagement of its international partners.

Today, Mr Cassis will have the opportunity to visit the occupation line in person and observe the daily security challenges on the ground.

Georgia remains firmly committed to its policy of the peaceful resolution of the conflict, which entails, on the one hand, the de-occupation of the territories occupied by Russia and, on the other, the restoration of trust and reconciliation among conflict-affected populations.

In the current geopolitical context, achieving lasting peace and stability in our region is becoming an increasingly pressing and important objective.

In these circumstances, safeguarding its sovereignty and making decisions based on its national interests is the only way for Georgia to preserve peace in the country. It is precisely this policy that has enabled Georgia to maintain stability, achieve dynamic economic development and play an important role in the region.

The economic dimension is also an important area of work within the OSCE framework, with connectivity playing a particularly prominent role. Georgia’s role in this regard is of paramount importance. We discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in this area and the growing potential of the economic dimension as a key component of security.

We also discussed the importance of the effective functioning of the OSCE institutions and the challenges arising from attempts to instrumentalize the Organization.

Georgia is a constructive and responsible participating State of the OSCE, committed to the Organization’s principles and respectful of the Organization and its institutions.

Today, we are fully aware of the challenges associated with multilateral diplomacy and once again express our readiness to contribute, through relations based on mutual respect, to upholding the principles and norms that underpin the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.