Valeri Chechelashvili graduated from the Faculty of International Relations and International Law of Kiev State University, majoring in International Economic Relations, and he holds a PhD in International Economics.

Since 1989, he has worked in the field of diplomatic relations and held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia - from the Second Secretary to the position of Deputy Minister. In 2005, Valeri was the Minister of Finance of Georgia, and in 2005-2007, he held the position of First Deputy Minister.

In 1994-1998, he was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine, and in 2004-2005 to the Russian Federation. In 2000-2004, Valeri held the position of Secretary-General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, and in 2007-2016, the position of Secretary-General of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development.

From 2000 to 2004, as Secretary General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, Valeri served on the Board of Directors of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (its affiliated body under the Charter of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization). From 2002 to 2012, he was a shareholder of Basisbank.

Since 2016, Valeri has been a Senior Researcher at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. 
He has been awarded various medals and orders, and is also the author of several dozen publications in the field of regional economic cooperation and international relations.