Ruslan Abashidze ( ka, რუსლან აბაშიძე; born 29 October 1971) is a Georgian diplomat and politician. Between May 2019 and September 2024 he was the head of government of the

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is an administration established in exile by Georgia as the ''de jure'' government of its separatist region of Abkhazia. Abkhazia has been '' de facto'' independent from Georgia – though ...

, which sits in exile in the Georgian capital of

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 ( ...

due to the

armed conflict War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

Biography

Born in

Gagra Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Russian language, Russian and ) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Ga ...

Abkhaz ASSR The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as Abkhaz ASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR. It came into existence in February 1931, when the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia (SS ...

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

, Abashidze served as Deputy State Minister for Reintegration from 2006 to 2009 and Ambassador of Georgia to Estonia from 2009 to 2013. In January 2019, he was appointed Deputy State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. On May 1, 2019, he succeeded

Jemal Gamakharia Jemal Gamakharia ( ka, ჯემალ გამახარია; born 10 January 1949) is a Georgian politician. Being a native of Georgia's autonomous republic of Abkhazia and a member of the local legislature since 1991, Gamakharia was force ...

as the head of Abkhazia's government-in-exile. In his new capacity, Abashidze also became member of the Georgian delegation in the

Geneva International Discussions The Geneva International Discussions (GID) are international talks to address the consequences of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. They were launched in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2008 and are co-chaired by the Organization for Security and Co-ope ...

, the diplomatic venue established in the aftermath of the

Russo–Georgian War The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia,Occasionally, the war is also referred to by other names, such as the Five-Day War and August War. was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the ...

of August 2008. He resigned from this role in September 2024, to be succeeded by Levan Mgaloblishvili.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abashidze, Ruslan 1971 births People from Gagra Politicians from Georgia (country) Ambassadors of Georgia (country) to Estonia Living people