David Bakradze

David Bakradze დავით ბაქრაძე
Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2008
President	Mikheil Saakashvili
Prime Minister	Grigol Mgaloblishvili Nikoloz Gilauri
Preceded by	Nino Burjanadze
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
In office 25 January 2008 – 24 April 2008
President	Mikheil Saakashvili
Prime Minister	Lado Gurgenidze
Preceded by	Gela Bezhuashvili
Succeeded by	Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili
Minister of State for Conflict Resolution
President	Mikheil Saakashvili
Prime Minister	Zurab Noghaideli Lado Gurgenidze
Preceded by	Merab Antadze
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	1 July 1972 Tbilisi, Georgia
Religion	Church of Georgia

David Shekris Bakradze (Georgian: დავით ბაქრაძე, Davit' Bak'radze) (born July 1, 1972) is a Georgian politician and diplomat who has been serving as the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia since June 7, 2008.

Bakradze's previous assignments include a member of the Parliament from the United National Movement (April 2004-July 2007), Minister for the Conflict Issues (July 2007-January 2008), Minister of Foreign Affairs (January 2008-April 2008), and the President of Georgia's special envoy to NATO and the European Union (April 2008-June 2008). He is a First Class State Counselor and holds a diplomatic rank of Chief Minister Counselor.

Early life and education

David Bakradze was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. He was educated at Georgian Technical University and at a prestigious Georgian Institute for Public Affairs (GIPA) as well as gaining a Doctor's degree in Physics and Mathematics from Tbilisi State University.^{[citation needed]} Apart from numerous high-profile government positions Bakradze has been actively involved in various educational programmes attending the Swiss International Relations Institute in Geneva, in 1997, and studying at George Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany in 1998. In 2001 Bakradze graduated from NATO Defence College, Rome, Italy. He has served in the National Guard of Georgia Reserve and is a Lieutenant Commander.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

Bakradze has been actively involved in Georgian politics since 1997. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia from 1997 to 2002, and for the National Security Council of Georgia from 2002 to 2004. In April 2004, he was elected to the Parliament of Georgia from the United National Movement (UNM) led by the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. He chaired the Parliamentary Committee for the Euro-Atlantic Integration until July 19, 2007 when he was appointed as a Minister for the Conflict Issues, and hence, a chief negotiator in the Abkhazian and South Ossetian affairs. In January 2008, he became the Foreign Minister of Georgia in the cabinet of the Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze.

On April 21, 2008, Bakradze was named to lead the UNM party list in the parliamentary election scheduled on May 21, 2008. This decision came after the chairperson of the outgoing parliament, Nino Burjanadze, refused, in a surprise move, to lead the party list due to her disagreement with the UNM leadership.^[1]

On June 7, 2008, Bakradze was unanimously elected a chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia at that legislature's inaugural session.^[2]

He was awarded the Commander's Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by the President of Poland (2010)^[3].

References

1. ^ Georgia: In Surprise Move, Burjanadze Says She Won't Seek Reelection. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. April 22, 2008.
2. ^ Bakradze Elected as New Parliamentary Chairman. Civil Georgia. 2008-06-07.
3. ^ [1]

External links

• Bakradze - Government of Georgia Website

Preceded by Nino Burjanadze	Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia June 7, 2008–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Gela Bezhuashvili	Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia January 2008 – April 2008	Succeeded by Grigol Vashadze (acting)

Persondata
Name	Bakradze, David
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 1, 1972
Place of birth	Tbilisi, Georgia
Date of death
Place of death