New US Ambassador to Georgia meets President, offers credentials

The new Ambassador of the United States (US) to Georgia Ian Kelly is one step closer to officially beginning his duties after meeting the country’s President today.

At a small but special ceremony today Ambassador Kelly handed over his credentials to Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili, signalling his commitment to serving American-Georgian relations. 

In diplomacy, credentials (also known as a letter of credence) are documents that Ambassadors, diplomatic ministers, plenipotentiary and chargés d'affaires provide to the government to which they are accredited, for the main purpose of communicating their diplomatic rank. 

The credential documents also contained a request that full credence be accorded to any official statements made by the envoy.

Until Kelly’s credentials have been presented and found in proper order, he will receive no official recognition.

Official ceremony at President's Palace in Tbilisi. Photo by President's webpage. 

Meanwhile at Tbilisi International Airport when he arrived yesterday, Ambassador Kelly told journalists he would be a devoted supporter of Georgia as it strived to towards the Euro-Atlantic space. 

The US Ambassador emphasised he would do his utmost to make Georgian-American cooperation more comprehensive. 

Prior to his arrival Ambassador Kelly released a warm video address to the people of Georgia. 

The US Senate confirmed Kelly’s candidacy on June 25 this year after he was nominated to the post by US President Barack Obama. On Friday, September 11, Kelly made an oath as the new Ambassador to Georgia.  

He replaced Richard Norland in the post. 

Kelly’s most recent role saw him serve as the US Department of State’s Diplomat in Residence at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a position he has held since 2013. Prior to that Kelly served for three years (2010-2013) as US Ambassador to the OSCE in Vienna, Austria.

Meanwhile speaking to media is not new for Kelly; from 2009-2010 he was the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs spokesperson, the director of the Office of Russia Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2007-2009 and Public Affairs Officer at the US Mission to NATO from 2004 to 2007.