Former director of TV Imedi appointed Georgia’s Ambassador to Hungary

Nikoloz Laliashvili, a former Director General of Georgian television channel Imedi and most recently Georgia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, has been appointed as Georgia’s new Ambassador to Hungary. His tenure in Budapest, set to commence on July 1, will replace that of Tamar Liluashvili.

Hungary, an EU and NATO member state, has often demonstrated a political stance distinct from mainstream Brussels discourse, particularly under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Within this context, Laliashvili will serve in a country regarded as one of the few consistent supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party among EU member states.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Laliashvili brings extensive experience in public service, including previous roles within the Ministry of Defence and the National Security Council of Georgia. Prior to his diplomatic career, he held various editorial positions in Georgian media, notably as political editor at Studio Maestro and later as Deputy Director General and then Director General of Imedi TV. He is also known for hosting the political program SWOT Interview, during which he conducted a high-profile interview with Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili in November 2019.

Tamar Liluashvili, Laliashvili’s predecessor in Hungary, has been appointed as Georgia’s Ambassador to Italy and as the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN’s Rome-based agencies (FAO, IFAD, and WFP). This follows a vacancy in Italy’s diplomatic post since November 30, 2024, when acting Ambassador Irakli Vekua stepped down shortly after controversial statements by then-Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze regarding a potential halt to Georgia’s EU integration process.