Bakradze Appointed as Georgian Ambassador to USA

The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, appointed David Bakradze, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, as the Georgia’s new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America (USA) on Wednesday.

Bakradze, 41, replaced former ambassador to the USA, Archil Gegeshidze, and will begin his new duties on December 5, 2016.

The President hosted the newly appointed Ambassador at the Presidential Palace.

At the meeting, the officials discussed the existing relationships and the perspectives of strengthening cooperation between Georgia and its strategic partner, the United States.

Gegeshidze’s replacement was announced by Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, in early September.

The PM said that Bakradze had “excellent working experience as an ambassador among NATO member states, has huge experience regarding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and his personal characteristics will also allow him to establish important relations.”

Gegeshidze occupied the ambassador’s post in March, 2013. This July he was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Georgia to provide an explanation over his statement that pro-Russian forces are “present in the ruling team but do not influence the decision-making process.” The President assessed his comments as “an incompetent statement from an unqualified ambassador.”

Gegeshidze first received formal criticism during the October 2015 visit of the Georgian President to New York and Washington where he accused the Head of the Georgian diplomatic mission in the USA of failing to attend meetings and forgetting correct diplomatic etiquette.

Thea Morrison