Georgia’s new Deputy Foreign Ministers approved

The appointment of three public servants as the country’s new Deputy Foreign Ministers has been approved by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Davit Dondua, Gigi Gigiadze and Khatuna Totladze have been appointed as Georgia's new Deputy Foreign Ministers to replace David Zalkaliani, Tamar Beruchashvili and Vladimer Gurgenidze, who stepped all down after Maia Panjikidze resigned as Foreign Minister earlier this month.

On November 5 Panjikidze stepped down – one day after her ally Irakli Alasania was dismissed from his post as Defence Minister.

However the resignation of Beruchashvili was short-lived and she was reinstated then promoted as the country’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs on November 11.

Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced Gurgenidze and Davit Jalaghania had retained their roles as Deputy Foreign Ministers, bringing the total number to five. Under Panjikidze’s rule there were four Deputy Foreign Ministers.

Meanwhile Dondua, who assumed the office of First Deputy Foreign Minister, served as Georgia's Deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration until 2012. He has many years’ experience in directing various departments at the Foreign Ministry and an impressive track record with regard to Georgia's integration and co-operation with European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

From 1998-2000, he served as Georgia's Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, and from 2000-2005 as Georgia's representative to NATO.

Secondly, Gigiadze has held various diplomatic positions at the Foreign Ministry since 2000 and has extensive experience in the area of cooperation with European countries. From 2010-2012 he was the director of the Georgian Foreign Ministry's Department of European Affairs, and since 2012 has been the country's Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Germany.

The third newcomer, Totladze has worked for the Georgian Foreign Ministry since 2002, where she has served as director of the Ministry's International Legal Department since 2012. She is an expert of international law and has many years' experience working on international legal issues.