President appoints new Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces

Today President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili appointed Brigadier General Vladimer Chachibaia as the new Chief of General Staff of Georgian Armed Forces (GAF), replacing Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze in the role. 

Chachibaia, 45, has already served in the role from 2008-2009 and was today reappointed in the post after Kapanadze’s three-year term expired today. 

Chachibaia has a proven track record serving and leading Georgian soldiers; he commanded Georgian peacekeepers in Iraq in 2004 and since 2005 has served in the GAF. 

He also provided advising services to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2015-2016. 

Chachibaia’s candidacy was offered to the President, Commander-in-Chief of Georgia’s Armed Forces, by Minister of Defence of Georgia Levan Izoria yesterday, during the the most recent National Security Council meeting.

Members of the National Security Council met yesterday, under the President (C). Photo by the President's press office. 

Izoaria described Chachibaia as a man of high integrity who was "well qualified for the post”. He stressed his and Chachibaia’s views "coincided on most military issues” and he would be a suitable person for the role. 

Georgia’s ex-Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli also welcomed Chachibaia’s appointment. She praised his "western education and high qualification for the post”. 

Meanwhile Kapanadze is expected to be appointed as Georgia’s top military representatives to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 

More about the new Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces, Vladimer Chachibaia 

• From October 2015 to October 2016: Chachibaia was the High Military Adviser of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
• 2015: Chachibaia was appointed as Rector of Georgia’s National  Defence Academy 
• 2014-2015: He served as Deputy Chief of Georgia’s Armed Forces 
• 2009: Chachibaia was the country's First Deputy Minister of Defence
• From November 4, 2008 to March 5, 2009: He was Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces
• 2007-2008: He received a military education in the United States including at the Army War College of the US. 
• 2006: He was Acting Commander of the Georgian Land Forces
• 2005: Chachibaia was Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces
• 2004: He was Commander of a Georgian contingent within the Multi-national force in Iraq
• 1993-1994: He studied at the United Military Academy of Georgia 
• 1992-1993: He was Commander of a National Guard platoon in the Georgian Civil War
• 1989-1991: Chachibaia served as a Private in the Soviet Air Forces