Grigol Katamadze
UkraineBiography of Grigol Katamadze
Grigol Katamadze is a Georgian diplomat and public figure who has served as the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine multiple times. He was born on August 12, 1961, in Kutaisi.
Education and Early Career
Katamadze graduated from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 1985, majoring in International Law and International Relations. He then went on to obtain a Candidate of Legal Sciences degree. From 1985 to 1993, he worked as an engineer and Deputy Head of the Department of Legal Disciplines at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy of Georgia.
Diplomatic and Political Career
In 1993, Katamadze became the Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. From 1995 to 1998, he served as the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine for the first time. He then held the position of Deputy Minister of Defense of Georgia from 1998 to 2000, becoming the first civilian Deputy Minister of Defense in the history of Georgia.
From 2000 to November 2007, Katamadze served as the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine for the second time. He briefly worked as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia from November 2007 to April 2008. In April 2008, he joined the Bank of Georgia as the Director of International Business Development.
Katamadze returned to his diplomatic role as the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine for the third time from 2009 to 2013. From September 2013 to January 2014, he worked as an advisor on international affairs to the chairman of the management board of "VETEK," a company owned by oligarch Sergey Kurchenko.
Since August 2014, Katamadze has been the founder and president of TNK Global Group, a company based in Georgia. Since May 29, 2015, he has also held the position of President of the Association of Taxpayers of Ukraine.
Family
Katamadze has a son named Irakliy Grigolovich Katamadze, born in 1984, who currently works as the Deputy Head of Customs and Head of the Department for Combating Customs Offenses at the Kyiv City Customs of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine.
Awards
In recognition of his significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian-Georgian cooperation and fruitful diplomatic activities, Katamadze was awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class, on September 7, 2007, by Ukraine. He also received the Order "For Merit," 3rd Class, on April 19, 2006, for his substantial personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian-Georgian cultural ties and active participation in the Year of Georgia in Ukraine.
