New Foreign Minister Appointed

New Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili

Gela Bezhuashvili, the Secretary of the National Security Council, was appointed as Georgia’s new Foreign Minister on October 20, following yesterday’s dismissal of Salome Zourabichvili.

Gela Bezhuashvili was appointed Secretary of National Security Council, in June 2004.   Prior to this Bezhushvili served as  Defense Minister in President Saakashvili’s administration.

Gela Bezhuashvili, who graduated Ukrainian Institute of International Relations and International Law in 1991 and obtained Master of Law degree in international law at the Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas in 1997, served in the Georgian Foreign Ministry in 1991-2000. He also was Georgia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan. In 2000-2003 he served as Deputy Defense Minister.

Unofficial reports say that the government is considering appointing Grigol Katamadze, Georgia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, as the country’s new Secretary of National Security Council.

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