Slovak FM calls for respect of Georgia’s election results

Juraj Blanár, Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday said the European Union and its partners often speak extensively about democracy, but some fail to respect election outcomes.

In his remarks at a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart Maka Botchorishvili, Blanár noted that although elections in Georgia were held in compliance with all legal standards, certain actors still wanted the vote to be repeated.

He recalled that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe identified minor violations, but stressed that respecting the election outcome remained an obligation.

“The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe identified minor violations, but it is our obligation to respect the election outcome. This is not positive for dialogue. We had the same situation in our country as well. When we won the elections, people took to the streets claiming the elections had been unfair. Within the European Union, the issue of imposing sanctions on Georgia was raised. I brought up the matter in order to receive answers to certain questions, but I did not receive them. A meeting was then held to which Georgian representatives were not invited. Had the government not changed in the United States and had Donald Trump not come to power, talks about peace in Ukraine would not even have begun”, the Slovak FM said.

“We also demanded that non-governmental organisations in Slovakia to disclose their revenues, just as Government officials do. Why should NGOs not disclose them? Let us discuss this, engage in dialogue, and ask each other questions. Citizens have the right, without foreign interference, to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong. We had a similar case involving the United Kingdom; we then communicated and clarified all issues. The key is dialogue. From the Georgian authorities, I see a willingness to engage in dialogue”, Blanár concluded.