Konstantine "Kote" Gabashvili () (born September 26, 1948) is a Georgian politician and diplomat. An Orientalist by training, he has been in government service since 1989. He was a member of the

Parliament of Georgia The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members elected through fully pr ...

in 1992 and again from 2004 to 2008. He has also served as

Minister of Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...

(1992—1993),

Mayor of Tbilisi The Mayor of Tbilisi is an elected politician in Tbilisi. Before 2005 the mayors used to be appointed by the central government. In 2006 first mayoral elections were held in the history of the Republic of Georgia. The first elected mayor of Tbilis ...

(1993), Ambassador to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

(1993—2004) and, simultaneously, to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

(2001—2004). Since August 2008, he has been Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the

Italian Republic Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Republic of Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

and

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

.Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. Dr. Konstantin Gabashvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Italian Republic, Republic of Malta and San Marino. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. 2011-04-10.
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Biography

Konstantine Gabashvili was born on September 26, 1948, in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, the capital of then- Soviet Georgia. He graduated

Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr; often shorten ...

with a degree in the Oriental studies in 1971. He tutored at his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

for several years until 1993. From 1989 to 1991 he worked for the Soviet government of Georgia as a Deputy Minister of Education. After the military coup, which overthrew

President of Georgia The president of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, tr) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U ...

Zviad Gamsakhurdia Zviad Konstantines dze Gamsakhurdia ( ka, ზვიად კონსტანტინეს ძე გამსახურდია; ; 31 March 1939 – 31 December 1993) was a Georgian politician, human rights activist, dissident, profes ...

in January 1992, Gabashvili joined the

State Council of Georgia State Council of the Republic of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს რესპუბლიკის სახელმწიფო საბჭო, tr) was a temporary supreme governing body of the country, which was established i ...

, an interim body, which relegated its rights to the newly elected parliament in October 1992. Gabashvili held a seat in this new legislature for only two months as he was moved to the post of Ministry of Education in December 1992. Georgia's Head of State

Eduard Shevardnadze Eduard Ambrosis dze Shevardnadze ( ka, ედუარდ ამბროსის ძე შევარდნაძე; 25 January 1928 – 7 July 2014) was a Soviet and Georgian politician and diplomat who governed Georgia (country), Georgi ...

made him Mayor of Tbilisi from February to October 1993. With the appointment as an ambassador to Germany later in 1993, Gabashvili's decade-long diplomatic career in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

began. In 2001, he simultaneously assumed the position of ambassador to

. After the November 2003

Rose Revolution The Rose Revolution or Revolution of Roses ( ka, ვარდების რევოლუცია, tr) was a nonviolent change of power that occurred in Georgia in November 2003. The event was brought about by widespread protests over the ...

, which toppled Eduard Shevardnadze and brought the young reformer

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...

to power, Gabashvili resumed his political career in Georgia. Closely allied with Saakashvili, he was elected to the Parliament of Georgia on a

United National Movement United National Movement (UNM; ka, ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, tr) also colloquially known as the Natsebi is a liberal conservative political party in Georgia. Tina Bokuchava serves as the p ...

ticket in 2004. For four years of his tenure, Gabashvili chaired the parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relations. In August 2008, he was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Italy, Malta, and San Marino.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gabashvili, Konstantine 1948 births Diplomats from Tbilisi Education ministers of Georgia Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Italy Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Germany Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Poland Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Malta Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to San Marino Politicians from Tbilisi Members of the Parliament of Georgia Tbilisi State University alumni Academic staff of Tbilisi State University Orientalists from Georgia (country) Living people Mayors of Tbilisi