Georgian authorities hosted OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu during his visit to Georgia. At a joint briefing with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, he emphasized the importance of stability in Georgia and the broader region. Bochorishvili, in turn, raised concerns about “open attempts at foreign interference in Georgia’s domestic political life.” The opposition has openly opposed the OSCE Secretary General’s visit, aligning with U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson, who on April 18 urged Sinirlioğlu to refrain from traveling to Georgia, arguing that “this trip could contribute to legitimizing the anti-democratic actions of the Georgian Dream government.”

“Stability in Georgia is vital for its citizens and the interests of the entire region,” Sinirlioğlu stated at the briefing with Foreign Minister Botchorishvili. In his remarks following the meeting, he avoided addressing the issue most concerning government opponents—the parliamentary elections held in October 2024. Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, and pro-European opposition forces do not recognize the election results. Georgian Dream, citing the final report of the OSCE election observation mission, maintains that the results are legitimate, enabling the party to secure a fourth term in power with a parliamentary majority.

As OSCE Secretary General, Sinirlioğlu focused on other priorities, particularly peace and security. “In this context, we have been cooperating with Georgia for decades. I want to reiterate that we are ready to support Georgia in strengthening its security through all means available to our organization,” he said.

However, Minister Bochorishvili seized the opportunity to outline the Georgian government’s peacekeeping plans, stressing the need to resume Gali meetings within the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, in which the OSCE participates alongside the EU, in the presence of the high-ranking OSCE official.

Bochorishvili devoted significant attention to the contentious issue of the Georgian Dream government’s legitimacy and criticism from Western partners regarding the country’s perceived democratic backsliding. Consistent with the government’s stance, she characterized such comments as interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.

“Georgia respects the independent institutions of the OSCE. However, attempts by certain actors to exploit these institutions for narrow political interests, in violation of the country’s sovereignty, are unacceptable to us. Georgia has recently faced blatant attempts by foreign entities to interfere in its domestic political life. We also frequently encounter efforts to misuse international institutions, which contradicts the fundamental principles underpinning the international order and the responsibilities of international organizations to uphold them,” Bochorishvili stated.

As anticipated by the government’s opponents, Georgian Dream interpreted the OSCE Secretary General’s visit as validation of the election results’ legitimacy. Vice Speaker of Parliament Gia Volski suggested that this perception has driven opposition parties into “hysteria.” However, Volski remained cautious, referencing the party’s ongoing narrative about a “Deep State” allegedly supporting the opposition to destabilize Georgia and “open a second front.” “On one hand, this is concerning because certain political actors cannot accept reality or the unity of the people. On the other hand, it is troubling because the issue of destabilization in Georgia remains on the agenda. Although resources are limited, there are still expectations that support will come from the Deep State, currently from Brussels. This is a dangerous signal for a small country. It creates a serious problem, but the arrival of a figure of such stature in Georgia is an important step toward resolving this once and for all,” Volski asserted.