Levan Mikeladze, the ambassador to the United States from the nation of Georgia, will be visiting the University today to give a lecture and participate in a roundtable discussion.

The lecture, to begin at 3 p.m. in Room 101 of the International Studies Building, is part of the University’s Ambassador Series that invites ambassadors and other officials from around the world to campus to discuss the state of their respective nations and address issues facing their countries.

Georgia, a country in the Caucacus region of central Asia, is one of several former Soviet nations that had democratic revolutions last year. The bloodless “Rose Revolution” in February 2004 ousted Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze from office.

Mikeladze will be addressing the state of current U.S.-Georgia relations. He will also speak on topics including a brief history of Georgia, the rebuilding effort of his nation since the Rose Revolution and how former Soviet states are democratizing.

Mikeladze received the Fulbright Scholar from the Center for International Security and Arms Control at Stanford University. His native language is Georgian, and he speaks English, Russian and Persian as well. He is married and has two children. He was appointed ambassador in March of 2002.