The Parliament approved on December 10 Georgia’s new ambassadors to Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia, Sweden, Egypt and Syria, as well as a representative to the Council of Europe.

Teimuraz Sharashenidze, who most recently served as Georgia’s consul to Istanbul, was approved as ambassador to Azerbaijan.

Georgia’s former ambassador in Baku served on the post only for two months before resigning in January, 2010 for the reasons, which have never been made public. In April, 2010 the Georgian Parliament approved on the ambassadorial post to Azerbaijan a ruling party lawmaker Irakli Kavtaradze, a deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for foreign relations. He, however, has not taken the post; it was reported in the Georgian and Azerbaijani press that Baku refused to accept the Georgian ambassador-designate. But the official explanation by Tbilisi was that although MP Kavtaradze was approved on the post by the legislative body, later the decision was revised and decided to keep Kavtaradze in the Parliament.
 
In other changes in the diplomatic corps Zurab Tchiaberashvili, Georgia’s permanent representative to the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe (CoE), was replaced by his deputy Mamuka Zhgenti; Tchiaberashvili was approved as ambassador to Switzerland, replacing Giorgi Gorgiladze, who became Georgian ambassador to Portugal.

Georgian former ambassador to Poland Kote Kavtaradze became ambassador to Sweden. In Poland he was replaced by Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, former ambassador to Slovakia and Slovenia.

Former Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov was approved as an ambassador to Slovakia and Slovenia. It is not yet known, who will replace him on the post of deputy foreign minister.

Archil Dzuliashvili, who served as Georgia’s consul in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, became Georgian ambassador to Egypt and Syria, replacing Gocha Japaridze, who served on this position since March 2009.

Earlier this week the Parliament also approved new ambassadors to Armenia, Mexico and Brazil.