Georgia appoints new ambassadors to Canada, Kazakhstan, South Korea

Georgia has three new ambassadors to represent the country in three foreign nations.

Georgia's President today signed a document, appointing new Georgian Ambassadors to Canada, Kazakhstan and Korea.

The new ambassadors will take over these positions once the service term of their predecessors comes to an end.

The candidates for Georgia’s new ambassadors are:

• Canada: Konstantine Kavtaradze is an experienced diplomat who has worked at the Foreign Ministry since 1990. In 2004 he was Deputy Foreign Minister; from 2006-2011 he served as Georgia’s Ambassador to Poland; from 2011-2015 he was Georgia’s Ambassador to Sweden and Finland jointly; and since 2015 he has been serving as Georgia’s ambassador-at-large. Alongside being ambassador to Canada, he will also serve as Georgia’s permanent representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) based in Ottawa. Katamadze will take over the position on March 1.

• Kazakhstan: Zurab Abashidze is a former member of the opposition Free Democrats party, who has been in the public service since 1996. From 2012-2016 he was a Member of Parliament; from 2012-2014 he was deputy parliament speaker. Abashidze will take over the position on February 15.

• South Korea: Otar Berdzenishvili has been working in the Foreign Ministry for years. From 2011-2016 he was Georgia’s Ambassador to Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and Georgia’s representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Berdzenishvili will take over the position on March 1.