(born 1928), Georgian government official, born in Mamati, Georgian S.S.R.; joined Communist party 1948; held various party posts in Georgia 1961–85; became member of Central Committee 1976; became full member of Soviet Politburo 1985; Soviet foreign minister 1985–90 and Nov.–Dec. 1991; resigned from the Communist party in protest of Mikhail Gorbachev's policies 1991; helped stop the hard-line coup against Gorbachev 1991; returned to Georgia to become chairman of the State Council after the overthrow of democratically elected president Zviad Gamsakhurdia 1992; quickly established diplomatic relations with other countries; faced with conflict with Russia and unrest and civil war in Georgia's regions of South Ossetia, Mingrelia, and Abkhazia; declared martial law 1993; elected president in Nov. 1995