France Designates Olivier Courteaud as New Ambassador to Georgia
France has designated Olivier Courteaud as its new Ambassador to Georgia, to succeed Sheraz Gasri, who has served since early 2023 and recently announced the end of her tenure.
A relevant presidential decree nominating a new ambassador was published on August 7, describing the diplomat as a top-level civil servant.
While few public reports are available about the ambassador-designate, sources indicate that he has served in intelligence and security roles in French government agencies. He also held the position of First Counsellor at the French Embassy in Jordan around 2015.
The nomination comes amid strained relations between Georgia and EU countries, with the Georgian Dream authorities’ anti-democratic actions drawing frequent criticism from French officials and diplomats. Outgoing Ambassador Sheraz Gasri has also repeatedly been the target of attacks and accusations from Georgian officials, particularly GD Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The designation also coincides with the appointment of a new Georgian ambassador to France, with career diplomat Irakli Kurashvili filling a post that had remained vacant since last May, when his predecessor, Gocha Javakhishvili, resigned in protest over Georgia’s reintroduction of the foreign agents law.
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