| Chief of Defence Forces of Georgia | |
|---|---|
| საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური | |
 Coat of Arms of the Defence Forces | |
 Flag of the Defence Forces | |
| Incumbent Major General Giorgi Matiashvili since 1 July 2020 | |
| Ministry of Defence of Georgia Defence Forces of Georgia | |
| Member of | National Security Council |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence Prime Minister President |
| Residence | Tbilisi |
| Appointer | President of Georgia on the advice of the Prime Minister |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Georgia Law on Defence of Georgia |
| Precursor | Chief of General Staff |
| Formation | 31 October 2018 |
| First holder | Vladimer Chachibaia |
| Deputy | Chief of General Staff |
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces (Georgian: საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური, romanized: sakartvelos tavdatsvis dzalebis metauri) is a chief of defence and commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia, under the authority of the Government of Georgia.
History
The position was (re)introduced in accordance with the Georgian Law on Defence of 31 October 2018. It had its precursor —the Commander-in-Chief of the Army— in the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. From the 1990s until 2018 the Chief of the General Staff was the highest-ranking military officer in the Georgian military, chief military adviser to the President, and wartime commander of the Armed Forces of Georgia.
The first holder of the position was Lieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia. The incumbent is Major General Giorgi Matiashvili.
Functions and responsibilities
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is a chief military officer in the Georgian Defence Forces (GDF). They oversee the coherence of the armed forces organization, combat readiness and mobilization as well as military development of the GDF, and are responsible for conduct of operations in war, including plans of use, general articulation of forces, and distribution of operational means between various groups of forces. The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is aided, in their functions, by the General Staff of the Georgian Defence Forces. One of the Chief's deputies can, simultaneously, serve as the Chief of the General Staff.
The Chief of Georgian Defence Forces is appointed and dismissed by the President of Georgia (on the advice of the Prime Minister) after the candidacy has been nominated by the Minister of Defence and submitted to the Presidency by the Government of Georgia. The nominee must have the highest military rank and high military education. The Chief reports to the Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister, and the President.
List
Commanders-in-Chief of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)
| No. | Portrait | Commander in Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 | Kvinitadze, GiorgiMajor general Giorgi Kvinitadze (1874–1970) | 26 May 1918 | 13 December 1920 | 2 years, 201 days |
| 2 |
 | Odishelidze, IliaGeneral of the army Ilia Odishelidze (1865–1924) | 13 December 1920 | 16 February 1921 | 65 days |
| (1) |
| Kvinitadze, GiorgiMajor general Giorgi Kvinitadze (1874–1970) | 16 February 1921 | 17 March 1921 | 29 days |
Chiefs of Georgian Defence Forces (Since 2018)
| No. | Portrait | Chiefs of Defence Forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 | Chachibaia, VladimerLieutenant General Vladimer Chachibaia (born 1971) | 20 December 2018 | 1 July 2020 | 1 year, 194 days | |
| 2 |
 | Matiashvili, GiorgiMajor General Giorgi Matiashvili (born 1977) | 1 July 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 171 days |
References
- ^ საქართველოს თავდაცვის შესახებ [On Defence of Georgia] (Law 1030) (in Georgian). 31 October 2018.
- საქართველოს თავდაცვის სამინისტროს თავდაცვის ძალების გენერალური შტაბის დებულება [Statutes of the General Staff of the Defence Forces of Georgia] (Order of the Minister of Defence of Georgia №298) (in Georgian). 13 December 2018.
- ^ "მთავრობამ პრეზიდენტს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაურის თანამდებობაზე ვლადიმერ ჩაჩიბაიას კანდიდატურა წარუდგინა" (in Georgian). 1TV. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "New Chief of Georgian Defence Forces Appointed". Civil Georgia. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.