Bulgaria 'Committed' to Georgia's Democracy in Election Aftermath

Bulgaria's government has praised Georgia's recent parliamentary elections as democratic in a statement of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

"The parliamentary elections that were held on October 1 2012 in Georgia are an important step in the consolidation of democratic processes in the country," Vesela Cherneva, spokesperson of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, declared on Wednesday.

In her words, Bulgaria's government shares the view of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that fundamental freedoms were observed during Georgia's election process, in which citizens actively participated.

"Bulgaria continues to be committed to the democratic efforts of the Georgian nation. An indication of this is that we sent election observers, at the invitation of the Georgian government. The free vote by the citizens of Georgia shows the democratic maturity of Georgian society, which is consciously taking the path to building functioning, strong and stable institutions," Cherneva stated.

"We are ready to continue to work together with the Georgian institutions, with the newly elected parliament and government, in the interests of the Bulgarian and Georgian peoples," she added on behalf of the Bulgarian state.

Georgia's October 1, 2012, parliamentary elections were won by the opposition “Georgian Dream” bloc of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili over President Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement.

• 1