Georgian Dream to Vote Against OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Resolution Over Biased Amendments
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Georgian Dream has announced that it will vote against the resolution adopted at the 31st annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, citing biased amendments that contradict Georgia's territorial integrity and national interests.
According to the party's statement, the resolution titled "The Role of the OSCE in the Current Security Architecture: A Parliamentary Perspective" includes specific wording that undermines the principle of Georgia's territorial integrity and misrepresents the conflict involving Russia. The party claims that the text added to the resolution suggests there are three parties to the conflict - "Tbilisi-controlled Georgia, Abkhazia, and Ossetia" - a narrative that aligns with Russia's long-standing position in the Geneva negotiations.
The Georgian Dream party highlighted the problematic amendment: "Reconciliation of Tbilisi-controlled Georgia, Abkhazia, and Ossetia is necessary." This phrasing implies that Russia is not a direct party to the conflict and is instead acting as a mediator, which the party considers disinformation that supports Russia's destructive behavior in the region.
"We would like to note that the wording added to the paragraph about Russia's occupation of Georgian territories is exactly what Russia has been trying to achieve in the Geneva negotiations for the last 16 years - to pretend that Russia is not a party to the conflict," the statement reads. "Including this wording in the resolution contradicts the principle of territorial integrity of Georgia and the declared policy of the OSCE and the USA."
Despite Georgia's efforts to include an amendment referring to Russia's harmful actions and occupation of Georgian territories, this proposal was rejected. The Georgian Dream party expressed disappointment that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, along with the United States, appears to be playing into Russia's narrative.
"Due to the violation of the state interests of Georgia, the delegation will vote against the final resolution," the statement continued. "We know that Georgia's vote is not decisive, because we are a small country, we have a very small delegation, and we will definitely be in the minority, but we need to openly say that the amendments are biased and are based only on oral statements; there is no evidence to prove it."
The party reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Georgia's national interests and territorial integrity, vowing to continue their efforts despite the unfavorable outcome at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
"It is unfortunate that in this particular case, the said Assembly is playing Russia's game. Our decision remains unwavering and we will continue to fight to protect our country," the statement concluded.
