Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on March 11 that he will appoint Ambassador of France to Georgia Salome Zurabishvili as country’s Foreign Minister.
“She was born in France in the Georgian family, which emigrated from Georgia in 20s of 20th centaury. Salome Zurabishvili speaks perfect Georgian and knows our history,” President Mikheil Saakashvili told reporters on March 11.
Georgian President’s statement follows his visit to France on March 8-10. Mikheil Saakashvili said that he discussed the issue with President Jacque Chirac and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.
“I have received consent from them [the French leadership] to appoint Salome Zurabishvili as Georgia’s Foreign Minister,” Mikheil Saakashvili said. “She is an experienced diplomat, who has worked in French diplomatic missions to the United States and NATO,” he added.
Before appointment as France’s Ambassador to Georgia last year, Salome Zurabishvili has been a Director for strategic and international affairs at the Secretariat of National Defense at the French Prime Minister’s office since December 2001.
Previously, she was an Assistant Director for Strategic Affairs responsible for NATO, European security, and crisis management operations. She also was in the French delegation to NATO.
Rumors regarding Salome Zurabishvili’s possible appointment as Georgia’s Foreign Minister broke in late January before setting up a new cabinet. However, Tedo Japaridze was eventually appointed on the post.
According to the recently adopted constitutional amendments Georgian President has a right to grant citizenship to a foreigner.
“I have a right to grant Salome Zurabishvili Georgian citizenship, as a result she would enjoy with duel citizenship – Georgian and French,” Mikheil Saakashvili said.
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