Georgia is stepping up its bid to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), but the European Union (EU) is standing in its way, the Rapporteur reports.

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said last week that Georgia intends to formally put forward its candidacy and is seeking support from the 57 states participating in the OSCE.

But the EU is against the Georgian bid. EU foreign affairs spokesperson Christian Wigand confirmed that Brussels still supports Cyprus' candidacy and is not considering alternatives.

The OSCE remains deadlocked over the 2027 chairmanship. Cyprus is the only official candidate, but Turkey is blocking its nomination. This gives Georgia the opportunity to present itself as an alternative.

The Baltic countries, however, are particularly hostile to Georgia's bid for the OSCE chairmanship.

The next major deadline on the matter is the OSCE Ministerial Council in Lugano on December 3 and 4, when the organization’s members will gather for the final major meeting of Switzerland’s 2026 chairmanship.