Aleksandre Kartozia to receive accreditation as Georgia's ambassador to Germany
Accreditation of Georgia’s ambassador to Germany
Aleksandre Kartozia, who was appointed Georgia‘s ambassador to Germany in September last year, is set to present his credentials to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on 23 July.
The information was published on the official website of the German president.
The website lists the ambassadorial accreditation ceremonies scheduled for 23 July. Seven ambassadors are due to present their credentials, with Kartozia first on the programme. According to the schedule, his accreditation ceremony is set to begin at 10:30.
Ambassadors from Chile, Honduras, Nigeria, Mauritania, Madagascar and the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio are also scheduled to be accredited on the same day.
Why is the accreditation important?
Aleksandre Kartozia was appointed Georgia’s ambassador to Germany in September last year, succeeding Levan Izoria, who had served in the post since 2020.
Before an ambassador can officially take up their duties in Germany, they must present their credentials to the country’s president. Only after this ceremony are they formally accredited and able to carry out the full responsibilities of the role. Until now, Kartozia had been awaiting an invitation to present his credentials.
Letters of credence are official documents by which one head of state appoints a diplomat as their representative to another country.
The documents identify the appointed diplomat and their diplomatic rank. They also contain a formal request from the sending head of state to the receiving head of state to “give credence” to everything the diplomat says or does on behalf of their country.
The accreditation also carries added political significance given the strained relationship between Georgia and Germany.
Relations between Tbilisi and Berlin have been tense over the past two years. Senior Georgian officials have repeatedly criticised Germany’s ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, while Germany has voiced concern over developments in Georgia.
There have also been several occasions when the German ambassador was summoned by the Georgian authorities.
On 31 December 2024, Germany imposed entry bans on nine people it said were responsible for violence against protesters and opposition figures in Georgia.
Who is Aleksandre Kartozia?
Aleksandre Kartozia served as Georgia’s education minister from 1998 to 2004 under President Eduard Shevardnadze.
He has worked as a researcher and taught courses and seminars at leading universities in Berlin, Frankfurt and Bremen. In 2022, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
During his tenure as education minister, Kartozia faced corruption allegations. In 2002, Givi Targamadze, a member of Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Council, publicly accused him of corruption. In 2004, prosecutors charged Kartozia and his deputy, Vladimir Sanadze, with abuse of office and the embezzlement of public funds.
Accreditation of Georgia’s ambassador to Germany
