Kvirikashvili Nominates New Cabinet
Acting Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili nominated new cabinet on November 22, where 13 out of 18 ministers will retain their posts.
There will be five new ministers in the government, among them:
- Finance Minister – Dimitri Kumsishvili, first deputy prime minister;
- Energy Minister – Kakha Kaladze, deputy prime minister;
- Economy Ministry – Giorgi Gakharia;
- Minister for Regional Development and Infrastructure – Zurab Alavidze;
- State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – Victor Dolidze.
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri, who served on this post for past four years, will be replaced by Economy Minister Dimitri Kumsishvili in the new cabinet. The latter will also retain the post of the first deputy prime minister in the new government.
Kumsishvili, who served as economy minister since September 2015, will be replaced by newly elected lawmaker, former business ombudsman, Giorgi Gakharia.
Another newly elected MP, GDDG’s secretary general, Kakha Kaladze will again return to the Energy Ministry. He quit this post to run in the October parliamentary elections.
Victor Dolidze, former lawmaker, will become the State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, replacing Davit Bakradze. The latter has been appointed as Georgian ambassador to the United States.
Dolidze, who quit Free Democrats party after its defeat in the parliamentary elections, has a good experience of working in diplomatic service. In 2005-2009 he served as the Head of the Permanent Mission of Georgia to OSCE; earlier he worked as an adviser at Georgia’s representations to EU and NATO. He chaired the parliamentary committee for European integration till February 2015.
“He is known as an experienced and good diplomat… He had always been a constructive partner for our government on Georgia’s path towards European and Euro-Atlantic structures, no matter whether or not he had to work on behalf of the [ruling] coalition. I congratulate Victor Dolidze on his return to our team,” Kvirikashvili said.
Zurab Alavidze, who currently heads the Strategic Project Coordination Department of the Government’s Administration, will become new minister for regional development and infrastructure, replacing Nodar Javakhishvili. Alavidze served as deputy economic minister from September 2009 to June 2010.
Kvirikashvili said earlier that the portfolio of the State Minister for Diaspora Issues will be folded under the Foreign Ministry in the new cabinet. Incumbent State Minister Gela Dumbadze will continue his activities in diplomatic service.
“I want to thank all those persons, who will not be represented in the new cabinet, but will definitely remain the members of our team and will continue their activities on important positions,” Kvirikashvili said.
The following ministers have retained their posts:
- Minister of Foreign Affairs – Mikheil Janelidze;
- Minister of Defense – Levan Izoria;
- Minister of Internal Affairs – Giorgi Mgebrishvili;
- Minister for Labor, Healthcare and Social Affairs – Davit Sergeenko;
- Minister of Justice – Tea Tsulukiani;
- Minister of Education and Science – Aleksandre Jejelava;
- Minister of Agriculture – Levan Davitashvili;
- Minister in charge of penitentiary system – Kakha Kakhishvili;
- Minister in charge of IDPs issues – Sozar Subari;
- Minister of Environmental Protection – Gigla Agulashvili;
- Minister of Culture and Monument Protection – Mikheil Giorgadze;
- Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs – Tariel Khechikashvili;
- State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality – Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.
Parliament is expected to hold confidence vote at its session on November 26. Before that, parliamentary committees will hold hearings into nominated cabinet on Thursday.
After confirmation of the new government, the Parliament will suspend MP credentials of Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who was number one on GDDG’s party list, as well as Kakha Kaladze, number two, and Giorgi Gakharia, number five.
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