Grigol Vashadze

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Grigol Vashadze (Georgian: გრიგოლ ვაშაძე, also spelled Gregory Vashadze) (born July 19, 1958) is a Georgian diplomat and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs from April 24, 2008 to May 5, 2008.

Born in Tbilisi, Vashadze graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1981 and worked for the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs, simultaneously doing his postgraduate training in international law at the Soviet Diplomatic Academy. At one time, he was a member of Soviet diplomatic team at the START I talks with the United States.

From 1990 to 2008, Vashadze engaged in private business and lived mostly in Moscow and New York. He returned to Georgia in 2005. In February 2008, he was appointed Deputy to the Foreign Minister David Bakradze whom he succeeded as an acting minister in April 2008.

He has been married, since 1988, to the famous ballet dancer Nino Ananiashvili and has two children.[1] Beyond his native Georgian, Vashadze speaks Russian, English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and French.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ A Swan Takes Flight, interview of Nina & Gregory by Paul Lieberman. Los Angeles Times Magazine, June 21, 2000, published at ananiashvili.com. Accessed on May 4, 2008.
  2. ^ Grigol Vashadze. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. Accessed on May 4, 2008.
Preceded by
Gela Bezhuashvili		 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (acting)
April 24, 2008 – May 5, 2008		 Succeeded by
Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili