Ian Borg told a conference in Georgia that the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration was not negotiable, hours after the country's riot police descended on protestors who attempted to storm parliament.

The demonstrators were protesting a divisive law that lawmakers on Tuesday voted 84 to 30 in favour.

The law brands overseas-funded NGOs as groups under "foreign influence" - a measure Brussels has warned will undermine Tbilisi's European aspirations.

On Wednesday, Borg, chair of the world’s largest security body -  the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe - addressed Georgia officials as part of the OSCE South Caucasus visits.

Borg's Georgia trip follows similar visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Human rights and fundamental freedoms - including the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration - are not negotiable. These inalienable rights are not only central to OSCE but are also essential to any democratic society.  

"These are values that we have collectively subscribed to, and they compel us to strongly condemn any use of force against peaceful assembly," he told the meeting in Tbilisi, which included the presence of Georgia's Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.

"We underline the importance of preventing violence against demonstrators and holding perpetrators accountable.

"Aggression and intimidation have no place in dealing with protestors exercising their basic rights," Borg added.