The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the Bucharest Declaration on June 3, expressing "deep concern" over the Georgian government's adoption of a "Russian-style foreign agents" law, along with several other policies and laws. The declaration states that these measures "effectively undermine democracy, suppress independent civil society and media," and criticizes the government for failing to uphold its responsibility "to respect the clear will of the Georgian people, safeguard the Constitution, and fulfill commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE obligations." Representatives of the Georgian Dream party did not endorse the declaration.
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“Expressing grave concern regarding Kremlin-supported and -aligned efforts to undermine Georgia’s fragile democracy and subvert the Georgian population’s EuroAtlantic choice through the current Georgian Government’s enactment of antidemocratic legislation and policies, including but not limited to the adoption of the Russian-style law on transparency of foreign influence in Georgia that will undermine human rights and disproportionally restrict basic freedoms, such as freedom of assembly and freedom of expression,” the declaration reads.
A declaration by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly stated that attacks on civil society, independent media, activists, and protesters bear "all the hallmarks of an extended Russian hybrid operation." The declaration calls on the Georgian authorities to cease these attacks and engage with Georgian civil society to reduce polarization in the country.
The declaration calls on the OSCE, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to collaborate in establishing a robust observation mission for the October 2024 parliamentary elections. The mission should focus particularly on detecting potential violations or anti-democratic trends that may arise before election day and undermine the democratic integrity of the vote.
The declaration was adopted following several days of debate. Georgian Dream deputy and Chair of the Parliament's European Integration Committee, Maka Bochorishvili, urged members of the Parliamentary Assembly not to hastily draw conclusions about Georgia based on "misleading perceptions."
"Look at the numbers, seek the facts, and you'll find more answers from factual information than from unnecessary speculation. Continuous speculation about Georgia's European trajectory, and using this issue as a political tool, will only impede Georgia's advancement towards the European Union and play into the hands of our adversaries," Bochorishvili remarked, expressing concern about frequent attempts to portray the will of the Georgian people and the government as divergent.
The declaration also addresses issues of occupation, specifically condemning the worsening humanitarian and human rights situation in Russia-occupied regions of Georgia—Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia. It cites violations of basic freedoms and human rights, discrimination against ethnic Georgians, and the erasure of Georgian cultural heritage features in both regions as direct consequences of Russia's ongoing occupation and "Russification" policies.
Furthermore, the declaration stresses the importance of ongoing active cooperation, particularly through international negotiations in Geneva, for the peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia. It reaffirms the call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian armed forces from the occupied regions, emphasizing respect for Georgia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
