Davit Kezerashvili
Davit Kezerashvili (Georgian: დავით კეზერაშვილი) (born September 22, 1978) is an investor, entrepreneur and statesman, who was the Minister of Defense of Georgia.
Contents
- 1 Biography
- 2 Political track record
- 3 Notes
- 4 See also
Biography
Kezerashvili was born in Tbilisi to a Jewish family. After migrating to Russia, he went to Israel in 1992, where he lived with his grandmother in the Kiryat Ben-Gurion neighborhood of Holon and attended high school. After a year and a half, he left Israel and returned to Georgia.He studied law and international relations at Tbilisi State University.
After working in the Justice Ministry he became an *istant to Mikheil Saakashvili, then the Minister for Justice.
Kezerashvili then worked in the Finance Ministry from 2004 until November 2006, including a role as chair of the financial police force. On November 11, 2006, he was appointed as Georgian Defense Minister. He was dismissed from this post amid criticisms over the Georgia-Russia war on December 5, 2008.
Political track record
Kezerashvili is a founding member of the liberal United National Movement, and contested an election in 2002 under their banner. He is also a close personal ally of the party's leader, Georgian President Saakashvili.
He was criticized by opposition but supported by western allies for his achievements in reforming defense ins*utions.
Kezerashvili was dismissed from his post of the defence minister on December 5, 2008 during a major cabinet shuffle. His dismissal was expected in the aftermath of Georgia's defeat in the 2008 South Ossetia War. Davit Kezerashvili is succeeded by former amb*ador to the US, Vasil Sikharulidze.
Notes
See also
- Foreign relations of Georgia (country)
- Politics of Georgia