Tbilisi, 20 February 2023 – The new Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia, Dimitrios Karabalis, arrived in Tbilisi today to take up his duties.
“I am very happy and excited to start my activities in the EUMM. This year the Mission will celebrate the 15th anniversary of its presence in Georgia. Our observers, however, remain, as they were on the first day, committed to achieving the Missions goal, which is to promote stability in Georgia and the wider region. I am honored to lead such a dedicated team and I will do everything possible to ensure that they can continue their activities, often under difficult circumstances,” said the Head of EUMM upon arrival.
Appointed by the Council of the European Union on January 31, 2023, Dimitrios Karabalis has a long history as a Greek diplomat. Prior to his EUMM appointment, he was Director for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, South Caucasus and Central Asia at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Karabalis held his first post in Georgia from 2017 to 2021 as the Ambassador of Greece to Georgia.
Mr. Karabalis studied Public Law and Political Science at the National University of Athens and International Relations at the London School of Economics.