Georgia to have commercial envoys instead of attaches abroad

Georgia will have commercial envoys instead of previously announced commercial attaches abroad.

The project aims at promoting export products as well as attracting more investments. Therefore, the role of the commercial attaches will be to widely promote Georgia’s economic interests in foreign countries and inform Georgia’s partners about the country’s goals and potential.

The process of the selection of the envoys has been underway since June 13, 2016, when the initiative was voiced by the then Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgio Kvirikashvili.

It is said that the monthly remuneration of commercial attaches will range from $4,000 to 7,000, though the exact amount of the salary, as well as the costs, will depend on the countries where the economic envoys will be sent.

Moreover, according to the relevant order of the Ministry of Economy, the monthly salary of a commercial envoy will be up to 2000-4000 euros and up to 1000-3000 pounds.

Nikoloz Alavidze, the Deputy Minister of Economy, says that candidates for the post of commercial envoys have already been selected and the process is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

He says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively involved in this process and has organized all the procedures.

“Candidates have already been selected and are being prepared... We can say that these processes are already over. Now they [envoys] are being prepared and retrained, and I think everything will be finished by the end of the year,” said Deputy Minister.

Although the process has been underway since mid-2016, Alavidze does not believe it is a long process.

He has not specified who was selected on the position of the commercial envoys.

Since the establishment of the Institute of the Commercial Attaches, the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Economy have changed, and the project has also been modified.

First, the selection process of the commercial envoys was launched by the Ministry of Economy, but lately, the function was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Before the transfer, the Ministry of Economy also conducted a competition and interviewed applicants. The Foreign Ministry then announced the contest again and said that the number of six commercial attaches could be increased.

At first, the six pilot countries were selected for the appointment of commercial attaches: The United States, Germany, Turkey, Great Britain, United Arab Emirates, and China. However, later, Japan was also added to the list.

One of the co-authors of the initiative, ex-Minister of Economy Dimitry Kumsishvili stated in 2016 that the government was looking for professionals with at least 5 years of experience in the private sector, in international trade or investments or in the financial sector. Also, at least 3 years of experience was needed for the position of head of the office. He also added that the process would have been completed in 2 weeks, but it has been three years since then and the process is still underway.