David Zalkaliani, Georgia's Foreign Minister, has resigned the post to become the country's Ambassador to the United States. Zalkaliani will be replaced as the senior diplomat by Ilia Darchiashvili, the Head of Government Administration and former Ambassador to Poland.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced the decision on early 4 April, saying that the nomination of Zalkaliani as Ambassador to the United States underlines the significance Georgia places on its ties with Washington. Zalkaliani has 30 years of diplomatic experience.

"Our work, our objective is to push ties between the two nations to a (higher) level," Garibashvili said, "and I think Dato (David Zalkaliani) will be able to accomplish so effectively," Prime Minister of Georgia underlined.

"Representing Georgia in our biggest strategic partner country, the United States, is a great responsibility," Zalkaliani said. He promised to "act with much greater responsibility" to improve Georgia-U.S. ties. 

About Ilia Darchiashvili

Darchiashvili graduated from Tbilisi State University with a degree in economics and Grenoble Ecole de Management with a degree in business administration. Darchiashvili was appointed Deputy Director of the Municipal Development Fund in 2014, during the first premiership of Irakli Garibashvili, and was elevated to Director in 2015. He was appointed First Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure in 2015, also under PM Garibashvili. Darchiashvili served as Georgia's Ambassador to Poland from 2017 to 2021, following which he was reassigned to the Government Administration Head in March 2021, shortly after Irakli Garibashvili was re-elected Prime Minister.