Georgia’s ruling party Sec Gen slams OSCE Moscow Mechanism report as “complete nonsense”

Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday dismissed the report prepared under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, calling it “complete nonsense” and stressing that Georgia would make decisions based solely on its national interests.

Commenting on the findings of the fact-finding mission organised by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Kaladze described the document as baseless and politically motivated.

The official characterised the report as “complete nonsense”, asserting that its origins and motivations were obvious to everyone.

“This is complete nonsense. I think everyone clearly understands why all of this started and what is behind it: they are asking us to repeal the law on family values and the protection of minors, they are asking us to repeal the transparency law, as well as the American FARA, and to act not based on the interests of the country but according to their wishes”, he said.

Kaladze declared that the era of external orders and bowed heads was finished.

“We have said many times and I will repeat it again: the Georgian government will do everything that our homeland and the Georgian people need. The time when instructions and orders came from outside, and decisions were made with heads bowed, is over. We will act based on the country’s interests. What laws are needed within the country will be decided by the Georgian government, which was elected by the majority of our country’s population - not through orders or finger-wagging from outside”, kaladze noted.

He connected the pressure to broader global processes, citing Ukraine’s court decision allowing same-sex marriage as an example of where certain actors want countries like Georgia to head.

“We understand what processes are taking place. For example, a court in Ukraine has allowed same-sex marriage. We know very well where things are heading. External actors want countries like Georgia and Ukraine to be used to advance their interests. We have repeatedly stated openly and clearly that we will not allow decisions that would harm our country’s interests, our economy, or the Georgian people. The Georgian government will not do that. We will always take steps that our homeland and the Georgian people need”, he said.

The official also noted that it was welcome that a number of countries did not support the document.

“A number of countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Spain, the United States, and France did not support this decision, which is welcome. Once again, I repeat: what is written in this document is complete nonsense”, he stressed.

Discussing the government’s approach moving forward, Kaladze said the authorities would continue to prioritise national interests when adopting laws or introducing new legislative initiatives.

“Our action plan is simple - any decisions made by the Georgian authorities, whether adopting laws or introducing new legislative initiatives, are done based on the country’s interests. You see what processes are taking place in the world, what is happening in the Middle East, and what threats the entire world is facing. Accordingly, every country acts based on its own interests”, he noted.

“We will not allow anyone - large countries or major political players - to use our small but culturally rich and tradition-filled country for their interests. We have already experienced this ourselves and know how much tragedy war can bring; the wounds and pain of 2008 have still not healed. Therefore, we will act solely in the interests of our country”, Kaladze concluded.

The report issued under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism calls on the Georgian authorities to repeal several laws, including legislation on transparency and the protection of family values. It also recommends abolishing provisions related to foreign grants in the law on grants, revoking amendments to the law on broadcasting that concern foreign funding and content restrictions, and scrapping the so-called Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)-style requirements.