Dimitri Shashkin

Dimitri Shashkini (Georgian: დიმიტრი შაშკინი, Russian: Шашкин, Дмитрий Николаевич) (born 8 August 1975) is a Georgianpolitician of Russian descent, serving as the Minister of Defense of Georgia from 4 July 2012 to 25 October 2012. Early yearsShashkini was born on August 8, 1975, in Tbilisi, Georgia, to a family of Russian background stemming from Ukraine. In 1992-1993, he attended the Greek-Georgian University, studying International Law. From 1992 through 1993, he worked as an inspector at the weapons office in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. From 1993 to 1998, he attended Tbilisi State University, graduating with a master's degree in Criminal Law with an emphasis on State, Tax and Criminal Law. He also briefly served as a Lieutenant at the Akhaltsikhe Military Base of the Georgian Armed Forces until 1996. In 1997-1998, Shashkini worked as a program assistant at the American Bar Association and from 1998 through 2001 as an assistant program officer at the International Republican Institute (IRI). In 2001, he was promoted to resident program officer at the same institution and in 2007 became the resident country direct