President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly [PA], Pia Kauma sent a letter to Maka Botchorishvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

“Following my previous correspondence regarding the planned visit to Georgia, I must inform you with regret that the visit cannot take place on 08-10 January as originally hoped. This decision has been taken after careful consideration of the current circumstances.

As highlighted in the ODIHR Election Observation Mission’s Final Report on the 26 October parliamentary elections, and as discussed constructively with the Prime Minister yesterday, Georgia faces work to align its electoral processes with OSCE commitments and international democratic standards. The report’s findings and recommendations remain critical to addressing these deficiencies, and I reiterate my strong support for their implementation.

The purpose of the planned visit was to facilitate dialogue with the government, opposition, and civil society on these vital recommendations and to reaffirm the OSCE’s commitment to supporting democratic reforms. While I appreciate your government’s willingness to engage with my delegation, I have concluded that the present conditions are not conducive to the meaningful and inclusive discussions required to make tangible progress.

However, we remain resolute in our efforts to support the implementation of the ODIHR recommendations and to promote dialogue among all stakeholders. I look forward to identifying a more suitable time to visit Georgia, when conditions will better enable constructive engagement.

In the meantime, I encourage the Georgian authorities to act on the recommendations outlined in the ODIHR report and to prioritize inclusive and constructive dialogue with all relevant forces.

The OSCE PA stands ready to assist in these efforts and we would be available to discuss this in an online meeting in the near future”, - reads the letter.