President Saakashvili submitted to the Parliament for confirmation five ambassadorial nominations, selected by the Foreign Ministry, President’s administration said on March 26.

Khatuna Salukvadze, who formerly was head of the political department at the Foreign Ministry, has been named as ambassador to Lithuania.

Irakli Koplatadze, charge d’affaires to Ireland, who served as deputy chief of mission in Ankara, has been named as ambassador to Turkey, replacing Zurab Pataradze. The latter has been nominated as the ambassador to Kazakhstan.

Georgia’s former ambassador to Latvia, Konstantine Korkelia, has been named for the post of permanent representative to the Council of Europe.

Teimuraz Sharashenidze, who has been Georgia’s ambassador to Azerbaijani since early 2011, has been nominated for re-appointment on this same post.

Meanwhile, the government has submitted to the Parliament draft amendments to the law on diplomatic service, which, among other issues, proposes to obligate the President to sign appointment of new ambassadors within two weeks after ambassadorial nominations are confirmed by the Parliament.

After the Parliament approved nine new ambassadorial nominations on February 20, the Foreign Ministry complained that the President was dragging out appointing these new ambassadors. The President signed appointments almost one month later.