Gela Bezhuashvili

Gela Bezhuashvili (Georgian გელა ბეჟუაშვილი; born March 1, 1967 in Manglisi, Lower Kartli ) is a Georgian non-party politician. The diplomat was from Februar until June 2004 Georgian defense minister. From October 2005 to January 2008, he was Foreign Minister of his country. Since February 1, 2008 he has been head of the Georgian Intelligence Service.

Life

He graduated in 1991 to study at the Ukrainian Institute of International Relations and International Law at the National University of Kiev from. In 1997, he earned a scholarship from the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program at Southern Methodist University (SMU ) in Dallas, Texas, the Master of Laws LL.M. and International and Comparative Law. In 2003 he studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1991, he joined the Georgian Foreign Ministry, worked in the international legal department. From 1993 to 1996 he was the Georgian ambassador in Kazakhstan. Between 1997 and 2000 he served as Head of the Department of International Law at the State Department. He was involved in the drafting of Georgian laws on the Foreign Service and the National Security Council, represented his country in various expert committees Europe.

From 2000 to 2004 he was deputy secretary of state under President Eduard Shevardnadze and the provisional presidency Nino Burdschanadses. In February 2004, he was nominated by President Mikheil Saakashvili for the first civilian defense minister of Georgia. He retired the majority of Georgian generals and reduced the strength of the armed forces of about 20,000 to about 15,000 soldiers. In June 2004 he became chairman of the National Security and Security Advisor to the President. After the presidential election in January 2008, he was replaced as foreign minister by Dawit Bakradze. Bezhuashvili announced first to want to withdraw from politics. On 1 February 2008 he was appointed by the President to head of the Georgian Intelligence Service.

The American Biographical Institute has honored him in 2004 as Man of the Year. In 2006 he was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit First Class.

Bezhuashvili is married and has two sons. He speaks English, Russian and Spanish. His brother David is co-owner of TV stations Mse TV and Rustavi 2 and a member of the Georgian parliament for the United National Movement.

Writings

• Gela Bezhuashvili: International legal aspects of Georgian Foreign Policy. RAOE, Tbilisi 2003, ISBN 99928-30-46-8