Hungarian diplomat appointed head of EU delegation in Georgia

Hungarian diplomat Janos Herman has arrived in Georgia to begin working as the new head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Georgia.

Ambassador Herman met Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze today and told her he was pleased to begin his duties, the Ministry’s press office announced.

The Hungarian envoy and the Georgian Foreign Minister discussed the implementation process of the EU-Georgia’s Association Agreement and the partnership priorities.

The Ambassador noted the Georgian Government's desire to deepen relations with the European Union said he was honoured to come and work in Georgia. 

"I have presented my credentials to the Georgian Foreign Minister but this is not the beginning of the bilateral relation between EU and Georgia. This relationship has been in progress for many years,” he said.

"The confirmation of this is the Association Agreement, which is a very important occasion not only for Georgia but for the international community as well,” Herman said.

The Ambassador stressed his future work in Georgia was one of the topics discussed during his meeting with Georgia’s Foreign Minister.

"Georgia is a very familiar country for me and I am enthusiastic to come here,” he added.

Herman was appointed as the new head of the EU delegation to Georgia by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton on June 26.

Herman replaced Philip Dimitrov as Georgia's EU representative, who held the position since 2010.

The Hungarian diplomat previously served as EU’s special envoy to Central Asia. In his career he has held senior diplomatic positions within the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, including State Secretary and Permanent Representative to NATO. He has also served as Head of the EU Delegation to Norway.

In his younger years Herman studied in Budapest and Moscow and graduated in 1975 from the State University of International Relations in Moscow.