Mirab Boris-ipa Kishmaria is the current Minister of Defence

Minister of Defence of Abkhazia

The office of Minister of Defence has been one of the most important in the Republic of Abkhazia due to the ongoing conflict with Georgia. The position was created 11 October 1992, shortly after the outbreak of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia...

 of the Republic of Abkhazia, which enjoys only limited recognition internationally.

Early life and career

Mirab Kishmaria was born 3 August 1961 in Ochamchira in what was then the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1984 he graduated from the Almaty

Almaty

Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...

 general command college. From June 1987 until February 1989 Kishmaria fought with the 40th division of the Soviet army in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

. During the 1992-1993 War in Abkhazia, Kishmaria was commander of the eastern front of the Abkhazian army, in the Ochamchira district

Ochamchira district

Ochamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto...

.

Political career

On 22 March 2005 Mirab Kishmaria became First Deputy Minister of Defence. After Sultan Sosnaliyev

Sultan Sosnaliyev

Sultan Sosnaliyev was a commander of Abkhaz and allied forces during the War in Abkhazia and a defence minister of Abkhazia in 1993-1996 and 2005-2007.-Early life:Sultan Sosnaliyev was born in Baksan in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, to Kabardin parents...

resigned as Defence Minister on 8 May 2007, Kishmaria became acting Minister of Defence on 10 May. He was appointed permanently to the post on 26 July.

Family

Mirab Kishmaria is married to a Georgian wife, they have 11 children. Out of these, seven fought in the 1992-1993 war with Georgia, and two died therein.