Georgia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia held a ceremony on December 20, 2023, to award its diplomats the Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Award, the highest honour of the ministry.
The award is named after the 17th-century Georgian writer and diplomat, considered the father of Georgian diplomacy.
The award recipients were Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Teimuraz Janjalia and Head of the Permanent Representation of Georgia in the European Union Vakhtang Makharoblishvili. They were recognized for their efforts in achieving the EU candidate status for Georgia, which the European Commission granted on November 8, 2023.
The award ceremony was part of the event dedicated to Diplomat’s Day, which is celebrated on November 3 every year, coinciding with Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani’s birthday. This year, the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and was held online.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Dariashvili, presented the awards to the laureates and congratulated them and all the ministry employees on a professional day. He also spoke about the importance of the EU candidate status for Georgia and its implications for the country’s future.
“Today, we honour our distinguished diplomats, who have historically contributed to Georgia’s European integration. Thanks to their dedication and professionalism, Georgia has achieved a major milestone on its path to EU membership. The EU candidate status recognizes Georgia’s reforms, achievements, and aspirations. It is also a responsibility and a challenge to continue our efforts and fulfil our commitments,” Dariashvili said.
During the event, the ministry also expressed gratitude to the agency’s employees and awarded qualification certificates to young diplomats who completed their training courses.
The Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Award was established in 2016 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia to honour its outstanding diplomats and promote Georgian diplomacy’s values and traditions.
The award is given annually to one or more diplomats who have demonstrated exceptional performance, achievements, and contributions to Georgia’s foreign policy. The award includes a medal, a diploma, and a monetary prize.
