Georgia nominates new candidate for post of ambassador to Azerbaijan - UPDATE

Georgia's former Consul General in Istanbul Teimuraz Sharashenidze may be appointed new ambassador to Azerbaijan, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said at a press briefing today.

The Georgian parliament could not "let go" Deputy Foreign Relations Committee Head Irakli Kavtaradze, who is an active figure in the legislature, Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Kalandadze said.

"The new ambassador has extensive diplomatic experience and his appointment can only be welcomed," she said.

The parliament will consider the nominations, presumably, at today's meeting of the bureau. The Georgian Foreign Ministry conveyed the Presidential administration the nominations of ambassadors and the administration, in turn, presented the nominations to the Parliament, Kalandadze added.

Previous Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikoloz Nadbiladze left office in November 2009.

Over the past year the Georgian parliament approved two nominees for the post of Ambassador to Azerbaijan - Vano Noniashvili and Irakli Kavtaradze, but none of them took the office.

Otar Berdzenishvili, who served as director of the U.S. department, will be appointed as an ambassador to Brazil and Malkhaz Mikeladze, who was member of the Foreign Ministry and was Georgian ambassador to Washington, will be appointed ambassador to Mexico.

Kote Kavtaradze will be appointed ambassador to Sweden. He previously headed the diplomatic mission in Poland. Nikoloz Nikolozishvili performing a diplomatic mission to Slovakia, will replace him. Accordingly, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov will be appointed ambassador to Slovakia.

Mamuka Zhgenti will replace Zurab Chiaberashvili in the Council of Europe and Chiaberashvili will be appointed ambassador to Switzerland. Secretary of the Constitutional Committee Tengiz Sharmanashvili will be sent ambassador to Armenia, Goga Gorgiladze- Portugal and Archil Dzuliashvili- Egypt.

"We have already presented the list of diplomats to the President and the administration has forwarded it to the Parliament with consent," Kalandadze noted.


/Trend/