PM Kobakhidze Announces Government Administration Appointments

On March 11, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze appointed Levan Zhorzholiani as the new Head of the Government Administration. Nikoloz Tkemaladze was appointed Head of the Regional Relations Department, Giorgi Kajaia was appointed as a Special Representative of the Prime Minister for Relations with Russia, while Zurab Abashidze became the Prime Minister’s Advisor.

Levan Zhorzholiani replaced Revaz Javelidze, who was dismissed from his post on February 29. Zhorzholiani was a Georgian Dream deputy of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo) since 2017. In the sixth and seventh convocations of the Sakrebulo, Zhorzholiani served as the Chairman of the Commission for Legal Affairs and Human Rights Protection. According to the legislation, after being appointed as the Head of the Administration, his mandate as a deputy is terminated.

The Special Representative of the Prime Minister for Relations with Russia, Giorgi Kajaia was the Head of the Georgian Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Russia. He replaced Zurab Abashidze, who is now the Prime Minister’s Advisor.

After the Prime Minister’s announcement of changes in the Government Administration, Zurab Abashidze held a press briefing where he explained that it was his idea to resign, which he had revealed to former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili several months ago. He noted that at that time Kajaia’s candidacy had been decided, but he was occupying the post of the head of the Georgian interests department at the Swiss embassy in Russia and they had to wait for his four-year term to expire.

Commenting on the changes in the Abashidze-Karasin informal direct bilateral dialogue launched between Russia and Georgia at the end of 2012, Zurab Abashidze said that the dialogue is not linked to him and is officially called the Prague Dialogue. He said that the talks could now be called the Kajaia-Karasin talks.

More to Follow…

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• 12/02/2024 – Kobakhidze Appoints Vice PMs, Vows Inclusive Governance, Anti-Corruption Efforts in First Cabinet Meeting
• 08/02/2024 – Parliament Confirms PM Kobakhidze and his Cabinet of Ministers

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