Deputy Foreign Minister Beruchashvili advances as Foreign Minister

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has introduced Deputy Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili as the country’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The promotion comes following the November 5 resignation of former Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, who claimed there were threats to Georgia's pro-Western course a day after ex-Defence Minister Irakli Alasania was dismissed by PM Garibashvili.

Beruchashvili, 53, a career diplomat with more than 22 years’ experience working on European affairs, has served as Deputy Foreign Minister since April 2013.PM Garibashvili was confident Beruchashvili knew exactly what needed to be done in the country’s foreign policy.

"She knows exactly the tasks and challenges Georgia is facing. She knows how efficiently to continue the country’s foreign policy, which is being developed by our Government,” Garibashvili said today when presenting the new Foreign Minister.

"I would like to reiterate that the European choice is the choice of the Georgian people. It is our unflagging will and I believe Beruchashvili will significantly contribute to achieving this goal.”

Meanwhile on November 5 Beruchashvili also stepped down at the same time as Panjikidze announced her resignation but the following morning Beruchashvili announced she remained in her role.

From this point of view, Beruchashvili called her decision an "emotional, solidarity misunderstanding.”

"Georgia’s course is irreversible. This is a national and existential choice. No Government [can] make the country swerve from this policy. My doubts only lasted for a few hours, and I would like to say that this was an emotional, solidarity misunderstanding. The Prime Minister and other Government members have answered my questions very distinctly and clearly,” Beruchashvili said.

She expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister for presenting her as the country’s new Foreign Minister.

"It is the greatest responsibility for me to hold this position today. On behalf of the Foreign Ministry I would like to promise everybody that we spare no efforts to be successful,” Beruchasvili said.

"It is a great honour for me to serve my country as the Foreign Minister and to serve Georgia’s European and Euro Atlantic priorities. Georgia’s future is not without a European future.

"Georgian diplomacy will do its best to strengthen its partnership and cooperation with all friends, to acquire new friends and strengthen Georgia’s future and security,” she said.

Meanwhile in her career, she held the role of Deputy State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration from 2004 to 2011.

In 2004, for ten months she was the Minister of the same Ministry. She also served the Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Georgia from 1998 to 2000.