Having systematically and purposefully undermined the OSCE/ODIHR’s reputation over months, it is no surprise that we have chosen to refrain from inviting anyone. Such a statement made today Chairman of the European Integration Committee

“We have reviewed the OSCE/ODIHR statement. They are missing the core issue. They are not addressing the real source of the problem. To put it plainly, this is the first time in 20 years that the OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusions have been outright dismissed and discarded as political trash. Therefore, our actions and decisions should not come as a shock. On the contrary, we find ourselves in a remarkable situation where the Georgian government defends its stance. For the past eight months, no one has voiced support for the OSCE/ODIHR’s conclusions.

We have engaged on numerous international platforms, with the OSCE itself attempting to defend its positions, yet not a single state or the EU has publicly supported them. Having systematically and purposefully undermined the OSCE/ODIHR’s reputation over months, it is no surprise that we have chosen to refrain from inviting anyone. We see no value in doing so. We have been urging them for months: if you value the OSCE/ODIHR monitoring missions, respect their conclusions and observations. Since we have seen no such respect, it would be better if they directed their inquiries elsewhere”, - said Levan Makhashvili.