Georgia to Inaugurate First Female President on December 16

The inauguration ceremony of Georgia’s first female president, Salome Zurabishvili, will be held in Telavi, the administrative center of Georgia's eastern province of Kakheti, known as the winemaking region of the country. Traditionally, the ceremony is held in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, but as the President-Elect stated, this time Telavi will play host to this important event.

Telavi is the town where Zurabishvili was unable to get the majority of votes in the November 28 runoff. She explained this is why it was decided to hold the inauguration there.

“There were several scenarios, but Telavi was my proposal because the whole election campaign was focused on our need to develop the regions, and I think that Telavi is the right choice.”

The President-Elect has already begun to meet with important foreign persons, this week welcoming NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai.

“I saw Salome Zurabishvili's editorial several days ago, where she made it very clear that her intention was to carry out the will of the Georgian people, i.e. Euro-Atlantic integration,” he said after their meeting. “This is a clear and strong message,” he said.

She also held an official meeting with Ambassador of the EU to Georgia Carl Hartzell.

“It was the first opportunity after the second round of the elections for me to meet and personally congratulate the President on her victory,” said Hartzell. “We discussed a number of issues, such as the inauguration and our future objectives.”

Hartzell noted Zurabishvili’s pledges will be supported by the EU.

The President-Elect also spoke to United States Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in a phone conversation on December 10. The US Department of State reports that the sides discussed US-Georgian cooperation on common global security priorities, the US’ unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and the importance of electoral and judicial reforms for Georgia’s democratic development and Western integration.

By Team GT