The Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture says former ‘Georgian Dream’ MP Levan Karumidze has been appointed Chairman of the National Gastronomy Agency, a newly created public legal entity operating within the ministry’s system.
The National Gastronomy Agency began operating on July 20, 2026, following a government decree issued on June 18. Information about Karumidze’s appointment was shared on Monday.
The ministry says Karumidze’s professional experience will contribute to the agency’s effective work and help increase the international recognition and promotion of Georgian gastronomy.
Karumidze served as a member of Georgia’s 10th convocation parliament from the ruling ‘Georgian Dream’ party. Between 2020 and 2024, he held the positions of Deputy Chair and later First Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Integration.
He was also among the 84 ‘Georgian Dream’ lawmakers who voted in favor of the final third reading of the controversial ‘foreign agents’ law on May 14, 2024.
Karumidze’s 2026 asset declaration shows that he most recently served as Deputy Director General of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, which operates under the Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth.
Business outlet BM.GE reports that in 2025 Karumidze first worked as Deputy Head of the National Security Council Apparatus, earning GEL 62,586, before moving to the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation as Deputy Director General, where he received GEL 32,437 by the end of the year.
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