Andrzej Duda, President of Poland awarded the highest award – Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit - to Ilia Darchiashvili, Head of Government Administration for deepening relations between Poland and Georgia, along with merits to the Republic of Poland.

At the award ceremony, which was held at the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi, Andrzej Duda thanked Ilia Darchiashvili for his contribution in the deepening of Polish-Georgian relations and their advancement to a new stage.

“Ilia Darchiashvili participated in the conclusion of agreements significant for the bilateral relations in his recent capacity of Georgian Ambassador to the Republic of Poland. I say with pride and assertion that Polish-Georgian relations would not be at this high level and magnitude without his active service over years. We know each other very well from Warsaw. It is my great pleasure and it is a sign of excellence that he is currently working with the Prime Minister of Georgia. On the one hand, it is a recognition of his personal qualities, values, political experience and service rendered in Poland. Officials of the Government of Georgia are saying today that Poland is a friend of Georgia and it is an outcome of this effective work. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for all your efforts. Let this award be a memory of years spent in Poland on the one hand and gratitude of the Polish nation and Republic for advancing the Polish-Georgian relations to a different level”, - said Andrzej Duda.

Ilia Darchiashvili expressed his gratitude to the President of Poland for recognition and Order of Merit, thereby noting that such a state award is profoundly important to him.

“This award belongs to everyone, who has been building the Polish-Georgian relations for years and diligence of these people has been inspirational for me. I believe to have contributed my humble share in advancing the Polish-Georgian relations. When I went to Poland for the first time, I knew that it was a homeland of heroes tirelessly and continuously fighting for the independence and freedom of Poland, similar to my fellow countrymen. I saw the homeland of the late President of the Republic of Poland, who saved Georgia from the loss of sovereignty and violation of freedom. Mr. President, I am grateful and proud for every day spent in Poland. I am confident that our relations will deepen further, reach a desired outcome and let Georgia become a fully-fledged member of the European and Euro-Atlantic community”, - added Ilia Darchiashvili.

Prior to his appointment as a Head of Government Administration, Ilia Darchiashvili served as an Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Georgia to the Republic of Poland from 2017.