Irakli Dzneladze ( ka, ირაკლი ძნელაძე) (born May 10, 1968) is a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

Brigadier General (2019) and the Chief of Joint Staff of the

Georgian Armed Forces The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defense of the nation's indep ...

from December 4, 2012, to November 22, 2013.

Education

Dzneladze graduated from the

Georgian Technical University Georgian Technical University (GTU, formerly V.I. Lenin Georgian Polytechnical Institute) is the main and largest technical university of Georgia. It is located in the capital city of Tbilisi. History Georgian Technical University was founded i ...

with a degree in Machine Building Industry in 1992 and from the Joint Military Academy of Defense Ministry of Georgia in 1999. He received further military training in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in 1998 and 2000 and in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 2009.Irakli Dzneladze
. Ministry of Defense of Georgia. Accessed December 8, 2012.

Career

Dzneladze has been employed at various departments of the

Ministry of Defense of Georgia The Ministry of Defense of Georgia (, ''sakartvelos tavdatsvis saministro'') is the Georgian government ministry in charge of the Defense Forces of Georgia and regulating activities in defence of the country from external threats, preserving terr ...

since 1993. He has also worked at the J-3 Operative Planning Department and Land Forces Command for various periods of time. Dzneladze was appointed Chief of J-2 Intelligence Department of the Joint Staff in November 2011 and moved to the position of

military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

, and

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

in May 2012.

Chief of Joint Staff

Dzneladze was appointed as the Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces on December 4, 2012. His appointment was the result of agreement between

President of Georgia President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.

and Minister of Defense

Irakli Alasania Irakli Alasania ( ka, ირაკლი ალასანია) (born 21 December 1973) is a Georgian politician, soldier and former diplomat who served as the Minister of Defense of Georgia from 2012 to 2014. He was Georgia's Ambassador to th ...

, who then represented opposing political parties since the defeat of Saakashvili's United National Movement in favor of

Bidzina Ivanishvili Bidzina Ivanishvili ( ka, ბიძინა ივანიშვილი, also known as Boris Grigoryevich Ivanishvili ; born 18 February 1956) is a Georgia (country), Georgian politician, billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who serv ...

Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia ( ka, ქართული ოცნება – დემოკრატიული საქართველო, ''Kartuli ocneba – Demok’rat’iuli Sakartvelo'') is a social democratic political ...

coalition, of which Alasania was a member, in the 2012 parliamentary election. The appointment was preceded by a controversy over Dzneladze's predecessor Brigadier General

Giorgi Kalandadze Giorgi Kalandadze ( ka, გიორგი კალანდაძე) (born June 24, 1980) is a retired Georgian Brigadier General who was the Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces from October 8, 2012 to November 11, 2012. Career ...

, who was briefly arrested and subsequently stripped of his office by the court in November 2012. He was succeeded as Chief of General Staff by General

Vakhtang Kapanadze Vakhtang Kapanadze ( ka, ვახტანგ კაპანაძე) (born 17 August 1960) is a Georgian major general who was Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces from 22 November 2013 to 22 November 2016. He held the same co ...

on November 22, 2013.

Later postings

Dzneladze served as Georgia's military representative to the

NATO headquarters The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is headquartered in a complex in Haren, Belgium, Haren, part of the Brussels (municipality), City of Brussels municipality of Belgium. The staff at the headquarters is composed of national delegation ...

in Brussels from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, he was appointed chief of the J-3 Operational Department, the General Staff.

Awards

* State Medal for Military Service (2000) * Special Medal of Ministry of Defense, 2nd rank (2008) * Special Medal of Ministry of Defense, 1st rank (2009) * General Kvinitadze Medal, Ministry of Defense (2011) * Kakusta Cholokashvili Medal, Ministry of Defense (2012) * Vakhtang Gorgasali Order, 2nd rank (2013).

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dzneladze, Irakli 1968 births Military personnel from Georgia (country) Living people