Tbilisi, Georgia,  31 January 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Türkiye Maria Elena P. Algabre met with Director Irine Dkahundaridze and Deputy Director Elene Jibladze of the Levan Mikezalde Diplomatic Training and Research Institute  (DI) in Tbilisi, Georgia,  on 21 December 2022. The Ambassador conveyed the Philippine interest to further  strengthen  cooperation between DI and its counterpart in the Philippine Department  of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). FSI and DI signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017.  

Ambassador Maria Elena P. Algabre (far right) meeting with Director Irine Dkahundaridze (far left) and Deputy Director Elene Jibladze (2-L) of the Levan Mikezalde Diplomatic Training Center (DI) in Tbilisi, Georgia (Embassy photo)

There is keen interest on both sides to share their educational and research resources, including on topics of common concern such as women’s issues, peace and security, and maritime issues. FSI is primed and ready to provide a variety of webinars and training sessions, while the DI can share an array of analytic and technical research work.

Named after a distinguished Georgian diplomat Levan Mikeladze, the DI was founded in 2011 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Georgia. The Institute’s mission is to become a center of excellence in providing quality education and capacity building for the MFA staff, public officials from other Georgian state institutions, and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Georgia, as well as a hub for research and analytical work aimed to support the country’s foreign policy, strategy development, and implementation. END