MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Mariam Kvrivishvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, introduced Ivane Abashidze as the new Director of the LEPL Maritime Transport Agency. Abashidze has served as Deputy General Director of Columbia Shipmanagement Georgia LLC since 2023.

“The maritime sector is one of the leading industries for our country, playing a significant role in the overall economic development. Therefore, it is important that Ivane Abashidze, an experienced and conscientious professional in the field, will lead the Maritime Transport Agency. We have immense plans for the development of the maritime sector in general, and the Agency will have a key role in their implementation. I am confident that with Ivane’s experience, sound vision, and leadership, we will successfully achieve these goals together” – Mariam Kvrivishvili stated.

Guram Guramishvili, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, attended the presentation of the new director of the Maritime Transport Agency.

Ivane Abashidze’s professional career is entirely connected to the maritime field. Since 2011, he has worked in various positions at the Maritime Transport Agency, including at the positions of a Head of the Legal and International Relations Department from 2014-2018, and a Deputy Director of the Agency in 2018-2023. In 2015-2020, he was the national coordinator for the GloMEEP project, and in 2016-2023, he was one of the founders and organizers of the Georgian International Maritime Forum.

Ivane Abashidze has extensive experience working with international organizations. In 2018-2020, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (London, United Kingdom). He also held various leadership positions at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including the positions of a Chairman of the Working Group on Liability and Compensation in 2023, and a Vice-Chairman of the IMO Legal Committee from 2021-2024.

Ivane Abashidze holds a Bachelor of Law from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and a Master of Law in International Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) in Malta. Since 2024, he has been a PhD candidate at the Institute of International Law, Faculty of Law, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

In addition, Ivane Abashidze is engaged in pedagogical activities. Since September 2015, he has been a lecturer in International Maritime Law and Navigation Law at Batumi State Maritime Academy. He is the author of several scientific publications and books in the fields of maritime law, safety, and international protection.

The Maritime Transport Agency, which is an organization within the system of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, represents Georgia’s national maritime authority. It ensures the organizational and legal functioning of the maritime sector in accordance with national and international requirements. Its scope of activity also includes ensuring the maritime safety and security of merchant fleets sailing under the Georgian flag and Georgian ports, coordinating the prevention of marine environmental pollution, coordinating search and rescue operations at sea, monitoring vessel traffic in Georgian territorial waters, etc.