Former Chair of Adjara Gov't Becomes Ambassador to Azerbaijan

Zurab Pataradze, former Head of the Government of Georgia’s Adjara region, has been appointed as the Ambassador to neighboring Azerbaijan.

“On the basis of Article 6, paragraph 5 of the Law of Georgia on Diplomatic Service,” Zurab Pataradze will be appointed as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the decree of the President Giorgi Margvelashvili reads.

Pataridze was elected as Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara on July 15, 2016. He left the mentioned post in July 2018. 

His resignation came a month after the ex-Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, quit his post due to a difference of opinions with Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party and ex-PM.

Opposition parties claim Pataridze’s resignation was demanded by the “informal” ruler of the country, Ivanishvili, adding the ex-Chair was Kvirikashvili’s team member and Ivanishvili wanted to replace him too.

By Thea Morrison

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