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Ekaterina (Eka) TkeshelashviliHead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
Date of Birth: 23.05.1977
Country:  Georgia |
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Biography of Ekaterina (Eka) Tkeshelashvili
Ekaterina (Eka) Tkeshelashvili was born on May 23, 1977, in Tbilisi, the capital of the Georgian SSR. She graduated from the Faculty of International Law and International Relations at Tbilisi University in 1999, and in 2001 she became a graduate of the Law School at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
After completing her education, Tkeshelashvili worked as a chief specialist at the Center for Foreign Policy Analysis at the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also worked as a lawyer at the International Committee of the Red Cross and as the director of IRIS-Georgia, a division of the International Republican Institute in the USA. Tkeshelashvili gained practical experience at the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Tkeshelashvili was offered a position as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg under Georgia's quota, but she declined the position and chose to stay in her home country.
Early Career
In the autumn of 2003, Georgia experienced the "Rose Revolution," a peaceful state coup supported by the majority of the population, which resulted in the removal of President Eduard Shevardnadze from power. After these events, Tkeshelashvili was invited to work in the Ministry of Justice as the Deputy Head of the institution. In 2005, she became the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, and in 2006, she became the head of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. In August 2007, Tkeshelashvili was appointed as the Minister of Justice of Georgia.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In January 2008, the Georgian Parliament approved Tkeshelashvili as the Chief Prosecutor of the country, making her the first woman to hold this position in the post-Soviet space. However, on May 5, 2008, Tkeshelashvili became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, replacing David Bakradze, who resigned to participate in parliamentary elections. She became the second woman, after Salome Zourabichvili, to hold the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in Georgia. Tkeshelashvili's appointment as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took place during a period of escalated tensions with Russia, following actions taken by Russia that were perceived as moves towards the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
During her tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tkeshelashvili faced the outbreak of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. She provided updates on the situation in the Caucasus region to representatives of NATO member countries. Tkeshelashvili participated in negotiations with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find a resolution to the conflict.
Later Career
Tkeshelashvili played a role in the negotiations for a ceasefire agreement in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, which was signed by the leaders of Georgia and Russia in August 2008. Following the war, she announced the cessation of diplomatic relations with Russia, leaving only one consul and a vice-consul at the Georgian diplomatic mission in Moscow.
Tkeshelashvili supported Turkey's idea of forming a "Caucasian Alliance" involving Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to maintain peace in the region. However, she stated that this alliance would only be possible after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory.
Tkeshelashvili also participated in a Georgian delegation at an extraordinary summit of the European Union in September 2008.
Colleagues described Tkeshelashvili as "mobilized and combative, capable of working effectively." However, opposition representatives criticized her appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, stating that she was not a diplomat and lacked the ability to communicate diplomatically. They saw her appointment as evidence of a lack of qualified personnel in President Saakashvili's ruling party, the National Movement.
Not much is known about Tkeshelashvili's hobbies and interests, although it is reported that she has a passion for firearms, particularly handguns.
