Alasania Nominated as Georgia’s UN Envoy

President Saakashvili has nominated his aide for Abkhaz conflict resolution issues Irakli Alasania as Georgia’s representative to the United Nations.

The proposal has already been submitted to the Parliament for consideration and the nomination will most likely be approved by the lawmakers. Alasania will replace Revaz Adamia, who has served as Georgia’s UN envoy since 2002.

Alasania will reportedly also retain his position of Presidential aide for Abkhaz conflict issues.

Alasania told reporters on June 12 that issues related with the Abkhaz conflict, in particular enforcement of the UN police component in the Gali district of Abkhazia and human rights in Gali, will be his major priority in the UN.

Irakli Alasania, 32, was appointed the President’s aide for Abkhaz conflict issues in March, 2006. The decision was hailed by officials of  breakaway Abkhazia, as he has managed to establish good personal relations with many representatives of the Abkhaz authorities.

Some opposition lawmakers have already criticized Alasania’s nomination, fearing that the move will hinder a momentum observed recently in talks between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides.

“Irakli Alasania has launched a very interesting dialogue with the Abkhaz side, but it seems that many people [among the authorities] are now concerned about his very positive activeness in this regard and decided to appoint him to a politically less important position,” MP Pikria Chikhradze of the New Rights party, told reporters on June 12.

Before become the President’s aide Irakli Alasania served as Chairman of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile. In 2002-2004 Alasania served as Georgia’s Deputy Security Minister.

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