| Agency Name: | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia |
| Nativename: | Georgian: საქართველოს საგარეო საქმეთა სამინისტრო |
| Type: | Ministry |
| Seal: | Seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.svg |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of Georgia |
| Budget: | ₾186 million (USD 70.06 million) (2023)[1] |
| Chief1 Name: | Ilia Darchiashvili |
| Chief1 Position: | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Website: | www.mfa.gov.ge |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს საგარეო საქმეთა სამინისტრო|tr) is a governmental body of Georgia responsible for protecting and promoting Georgia's interest and its persons and entities abroad. The Ministry is led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs who is appointed by the Prime Minister of Georgia as a member of cabinet. The position is currently held by Ilia Darchiashvili, in office since 4 April 2022.
Georgia's foreign service – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions and Consular Services - serve fundamental national interests and values anchored in the Constitution of Georgia, the Foreign Policy Strategy as well as the National Security Concept. The Ministry drives Georgia's foreign policy to enhance the security and international status of the country, and promote its interests in an increasingly globalizing world.[2]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established on 26 May 1918, the same day Georgia declared its independence. Consequently, the foreign affairs commission, diplomatic missions, and other entities necessary for carrying out diplomatic work were formed abroad. The first Foreign Minister was Akaki Chkhenkeli,[3] a political leader. In November 1918, Evgeni Gegechkori was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the main foreign policy agency of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. It held diplomatic negotiations on behalf of the government. The Ministry was accountable to the Parliament. The staff of the Ministry did not exceed 50 people and its structure was the following:[4]
See main article: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the chief executive officer of the Ministry and a member of the Cabinet who answers directly to, and advises, the Prime Minister of Georgia. The minister organizes and supervises the entire ministry and its staff.
| Structure[5] | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Minister's Secretariat |
Internal Audit Department
| |
| Division of Classified Document Management | |
| Ambassadors at Large | |
General Directorate of Information and Public Relations
| |
| Department of Human Resources Management | |
Political Department
| |
Department of Security of Georgian Diplomatic Representations and Consular Offices Abroad
| |
| First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Political Department
|
Department of International Organisations
| |
Department of Neighbouring Countries
| |
Department of the Americas:
| |
Department of NATO Integration:
| |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Department of European Affairs
|
General Directorate of European Integration
| |
LEPL - Information Center on NATO and EU
| |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Department of International Cultural and Humanitarian Relations |
Department of Diplomatic Protocol
| |
Department of International Law
| |
| Department of Legal Issues and Relations with Parliament | |
Consular Department
| |
| LEPL - Bureau of Translation of International Agreements | |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Department of International Economic Relations
|
| Department of Middle East and Africa | |
Department of Asia and The Pacific
| |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | Administrative Department:
|
Department for Relations With Diaspora
| |
| IT Department | |
| LEPL - Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute | |
Legal Entities of Public Law
o LEPL - Information Center on NATO and EU
LEPL Information Center on NATO and EU was established in 2005 and, since 2017, operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.[6] The Information Centre on NATO and EU aims to support Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration process through public diplomacy and strategic communication efforts, primarily focusing on maintaining and increasing knowledge-based public support towards the country's top foreign policy priorities - Georgia's membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and to the European Union.
o LEPL - Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute
The goal of The Levan Mikeladze Diplomatic Training and Research Institute (DTRI) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA) is to promote the continuous professional development of MFA staff and those forming the diplomatic reserve, taking into consideration Georgian foreign policy priorities, existing needs and trends. The Centre also aims to raise the awareness of foreign diplomats accredited to Georgia and strengthen the capacity of public officials working in the area of international relations.
The budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2023 is GEL 186 million (USD 70.06 million), up by GEL 9.4 million (USD 3.5 million) compared to 2022.[7]