New British Ambassador meets PM, parliament speaker
Mark Clayton presented his credentials to the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on October 2. Photo: Georgian PM press office
Tweet 
Share
Newly appointed Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Georgia Mark Clayton met with the Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze earlier today.
PM Gakharia congratulated the Ambassador on the beginning of his diplomatic mission in Georgia and expressed hope that his work will strengthen close partnership between the two countries.
The Georgian PM thanked the UK for assisting Georgia in the fight against COVID-19.
He also welcomed that the 7th round of Georgia-UK Wardrop Strategic Dialogue has been yet another demonstration of the high-level partnership between Georgia and the UK.
Earlier today Mark Clayton wrote on Twitter that he had 'a great discussion of democracy and the prospects for Georgia's next parliament' with Speaker Talakvadze.
დიდი მადლობა საინტერესო შეხვედრისთვის ბატონო @A_Talakvadze. სხვადასხვა საკითხი მიმოვიხილეთ და მიხარია, რომ საქართველოსა და ბრიტანეთს შორის წარმატებული თანამშრომლობაა ბევრი მიმართულებით. A great discussion of democracy and the prospects for Georgia's next parliament! https://t.co/ikgMgnkDjX
— Mark Clayton (@MarkClaytonFCDO) October 6, 2020
Mark Clayton, who replaced Justin McKenzie Smith in August, presented his credentials to the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on October 2.
ჩემთვის დიდი პატივია საქართველოს პრეზიდენტისთვის @Zourabichvili_S რწმუნებათა სიგელის გადაცემა. იმედი მაქვს, ბევრ სასარგებლო საქმეს გავაკეთებ ბრიტანულ-ქართული ურთიერთობებისთვის.
— Mark Clayton (@MarkClaytonFCDO) October 2, 2020
Honoured to present my credentials today to HE President Zourabichvili #Georgia pic.twitter.com/CFGi53J28w
The newly appointed Ambassador has over 20-year experience of working at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Clayton has been Deputy Director of the European Security and Defence at Cabinet Office since 2018. In 2017-2018 he worked in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate of FCO and was a Minister Counsellor (Political) in Moscow.
Earlier in 2014-2017 he was a Deputy High Commissioner at Dhaka. Back in 2010-2014 he worked as Deputy Head of the Counter-Terrorism Department at the FCO.