Finnish outlet Helsingin Sanomat reports that Finland’s Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen said that the planned meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was canceled at Finland’s initiative, not by the Georgian side, due to a scheduling change.
As the publication reports, Valtonen emphasized that the Georgian government was informed of the change on Tuesday night. She also rejected claims made by Georgian authorities that she had taken part in election-related events or made false statements.
“I was there to observe the demonstrations that have been taking place in Georgia for weeks and months. I wanted to express my support for freedom of speech,” Valtonen told Helsingin Sanomat.
When asked about the Georgian government’s reaction, Valtonen responded:
“It is up to the Georgian government to decide how they will react. Unfortunately, I had to cancel the meeting with the Prime Minister in order to hold meetings in Azerbaijan.”
Helsingin Sanomat reports that Valtonen left Georgia earlier than planned to meet with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. These meetings had initially been scheduled at the beginning of her regional trip but were postponed after Azerbaijan’s leadership traveled to Egypt to attend a peace conference hosted by US President Donald Trump regarding the war in Gaza.
For context, the Georgian Government Administration previously stated that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze canceled the meeting with Elina Valtonen, citing her participation in an “illegal rally” and making “false statements.”
“Yesterday, due to her participation in an illegal rally and making false statements, the Prime Minister canceled the scheduled meeting with the Finnish Foreign Minister,” the government’s statement said.
