Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced that Estonia, together with Iceland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, has expressed strong support for the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
“We commend her engagement with Georgian stakeholders and her support for OSCE principles, including freedom of expression and assembly. We fully back her mandate across the South Caucasus,” Tsahkna wrote on social media.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has fined Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Foreign Minister and current OSCE Chairperson, 5,000 GEL for blocking a road on Rustaveli Avenue, the ministry confirmed.
Valtonen visited Georgia on 14 October as part of an official trip. During her visit, she went to a protest near the Parliament and spoke with participants.
The following day, the Georgian government announced that a planned meeting between Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Valtonen had been canceled due to her participation in an unlawful protest and false statements. However, Valtonen later told the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat that the meeting’s cancellation was not Georgia’s decision but a schedule change initiated by Finland.
This incident has drawn attention amid ongoing diplomatic engagements, highlighting the sensitivity of official visits and public appearances in Tbilisi.
Related story: Norwegian FM: Valtonen’s visit near Tbilisi protests does not undermine OSCE Chair’s impartiality
