Several months ago, IPR research, which functions at Palitra Media House, conducted a survey that revealed the winner of the previous year, among the ambassadors. The result was based on polling of political figures, political scientists, journalists and representatives of NGOs and International organizations. Georgian Journal published an article about it. As a conclusive stage of the research, on April 17, at Tbilisi Marriott Hotel, Georgian Journal organized its traditional event “Diplomat Party” for the second time.
The rusult of recent research identifed the winner: Mr. Richard Norland, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. The survey conferred the second position to Ms. Judith Gough, then the ambassador of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Georgia. Ms. Judith Gough has been substituted by Mr. David Moran. The third place went to Mr. Ortwin Hennig, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany. Number four was Mr. Philip Dimitrov, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. According to the poll, Czech Ambassador Mr. Ivan Jestrab got the 5th place.
As a conclusion of the event, the format has been changed and Georgian Journal and Palitra Media House staff along with the special jury decided to confer the prizes in semi-formal nominations, as the bulk of the interviews that had been published in Georgian Journal were informal. Therefore, the diplomat Party at Tbilisi Marriott bore a very cheerful and festive mood.
At the opening speech, the MCs of the event Mr. Nugzar Ruhadze and Nino Akhaladze thanked the guests for coming and the sponsors for their support. The sponsors were: Duty Free Alliance, Dwelling Complex Tbilisia and Nemiroff official distributor in Georgia. The partners who set up the prizes were: Hotel network Rcheuli, Furniture House Casa Mia, Optical Shop network Safilo, Center of Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics Total Charm, Jewelry shops chain Franco Fontana, Tbilisi Marriott Hotel and Courtyard Marriott Hotel and Publishing House Palitra L.
The first winner was Ms. Federica Favi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy, who was identifed as the Best Respondent. “Of course, I am very happy and a bit surprised because I did not expect it. I think that this is the result of the good cooperation, which we have established with the newspapers. I was personally happy to have interviews with Georgian Journal. I think it is also a matter of a special sympathy that Georgians have towards Italy and I appreciate it very much more on behalf of Italy than myself,“ Federica Favi commented.
Mr. Jonas Paslauskas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania was the second diplomat to receive the prize in the nomination of a Georgian-speaking foreign ambassador. “Georgia is, was and always will be a big friend for Lithuania,” he said in Georgian, and moved audience greeted him with applause.
The third prize went to Mr. Sandor Szabo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary. He proved to be the sportiest diplomat. The fourth and the fifth nominations were of the same kind - “The most accessible Ambassador” – which was divided into two parts – the winners became Ms. Elita Gavele, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia and Mr. Carlos Alberto Lopes Asfora, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil.
Apart from the prizes, the event was also livened up by competitions, in which the most cheerful one proved to be a game of word-guessing that means that they had to say the name in Georgian of the object, which the MC showed to them . The representatives of different embassies became the winners. Apart from the winner ambassadors, the event was attended by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China Mr. Chen Jianfu, Mr. Pierre Orloff, Honorary Consul of Belgium, Mr. Esben Embord, Honorary Consul of Denmark and Mr. Clifford Isaak, Honorary Consul of Canada, as well as some distinguished members of International organizations, NGOs and business sector.
“Diplomat Party was established to enhance and boost the relations between the Georgian media and the diplomatic corps”, Geno Jokhadze, Executive Editor of Georgian Journal noted.
Georgian Journal said good bye to the diplomats promising for the next year more surprises and nominations.