Page 7 - DIVA_No.18_2005

MIKHEIL
SAAKASHVIILI
was elected
President of
Georgia by an
overwhelming
majority of the
Georgian people
on January 4,
2004. Mr.
Saakashvili is the ZURAB ZHVANIA -
founder of the currently serves as Georgia's
National served in his first term as Prime Minister. Mr. Zhvania
Movement, Georgia's largest Chairman of the Committee on was first elected to the
political party. Prior to beco- Legal Issues and the Rule of Georgian parliament in 1992
ming President, Mr. Law. He has also served as where he quickly established
Saakashvili served as Vice-President of the European himself as one of Georgia's
Chairman of the Tbilisi City Parliamentary Assembly. Mr. most able and competent poli-
Assembly where he reinforced Saakashvili graduated from the tical leaders. In 1993 Mr.
his reputation as an efficient law faculty of Kyiv University, Zhvania was elected Secretary
administrator, committed to before receiving a Masters General of the Citizens Union lowing attempts by the former
fighting entrenched corruption. Degree in Law from Columbia party. After placing first in the authorities to eliminate free-
Prior to that Mr. Saakashvili University in New York, a 1995 Parliamentary elections dom of the press and media in
served as Georgia's youngest- Ph.D. from George Mr. Zhvania was elected as Georgia. Following his resi-
ever Minister of Justice and Washington University in Chairman of the Georgian gnation, Mr. Zhvania founded
introduced a wide range of Washington, D.C. and a Parliament. In November 2001 the United Democrats political
judicial reforms. Mr. Diploma from the International after being once again elected party. Mr. Zhvania is the
Saakashvili has twice won Institute of Human Rights in Parliamentary Chairman, Mr. author of numerous scientific
majoritarian elections to the Strasbourg. Mr. Saakashvili is Zhvania became the first popu- articles and works on interna-
Georgian Parliament, where he 37 years old. larly elected high government tional relations and holds a
official in the former Soviet degree in biology from Tbilisi
Union to resign from a posi- State University. Mr. Zhvania
tion of national leadership, fol- is 40 years old.
NINO BURJANADZE -
currently serves as a Speaker
of the Georgian Parliament. In
her tenure as Parliamentary
SALOME ZURABISHVILI -
Speaker, Ms. Buijanadze deve-
loped a reputation for tough currently serves as Georgia's
Foreign Minister. Prior to
leadership and outspokenness
against corruption and econo- becoming Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Georgia, Ms.
mic decline. Ms. Burjanadze
has served as the Chairperson Zurabishvili served as
Ambassador Extraordinary
of the Committee on Foreign Ph.D. at the Department of
Relations of the Georgian International Law at Moscow and Plenipotentiary of France
Parliament and prior to that, as State University. Ms. to Georgia. Born to a family
the Chairperson of the Burjanadze is a Professor of that left Georgia in the 1920's
Committee on Legal Affairs Law at Tbilisi State University after the Communist takeo- of Political Sciences. In 1981
and the Rule of Law. Ms. and is the author of more than ver, Ms. Zurabishvili was rai- Ms. Zurabishvili graduated
Buijanadze graduated from the 20 articles and books on legal sed in France, where she got from the National School of
her education and served in Public Administration. Ms.
law faculty of Tbilisi State issues and on international
University before receiving her relations. different positions in the Salome Zurabishvili is the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of holder of the Order of the
France. Before graduating Legion of Honor of the
from Columbia University, French Republic and of the
Ms. Zurabishvili obtained a National Order of Merit of
Diploma of the Paris Institute the French Republic.

1.2005 Diva 9