Georgia’s Acting PM Names New Cabinet Members

TBILISI - Acting Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili  held a special briefing on Tuesday and named the country's new Cabinet of Ministers.

Kvirikashvili thanked the old Cabinet members for their work and confirmed there were no major changes in the new government.

According to the Acting PM, from now there will be 18 ministries instead of 19, as the Ministry of Diaspora has merged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

The main changes took place in the economic team. The current Minister of Economy, Dimitry Kumsishvili, was appointed as the Finance Minister and will also serve as First Deputy Prime Minister. The Economy Minister will be the current business ombudsman, Giorgi Gakharia.

Kakha Kaladze was reinstated to the post of Minister of Energy and is also to act as Deputy Vice Premier. Acting Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili will return as the Deputy Energy Minister.

The changes also refer to the Ministry of Infrastructure, where acting Minister Nodar Javakhishvili was replaced by Zurab Alavidze, a young candidate who had been working at the governmental administration.

Moreover, the cabinet has a new member, Viktor Dolidze, who was a member of opposition party Free Democrats. Kvirikashvili presented him as the State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, to replace Davit Bakradze.

The other Ministers will keep their posts:

Minister of Foreign Affairs- Mikheil janelidze

Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs – Davit Sergeenko

Minister of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees – Sozar Subari

Minister of Education and Science – Alexander Jejelava

Minister of Agriculture – Levan Davitashvili

Culture Minister – Mikheil Giorgadze

Sport and Youth Affairs Minister – Tariel Khechikashvili

Defense Minister – Levan Izoria

Minister of Justice – Thea Tsulukiani

Minister of Internal Affairs – Giorgi Mghebrishvili

Corrections Minister – Kakha Kakhishvili

Environment and Natural Resources Minister - Gigla Agulashvili

Reconciliation and Civil Equality the State Minister – Ketevan Tsikhelashvili

After the presentation of the new Cabinet members, Georgia’s Parliament will vote for them. The new government will need the support of at least 76 lawmakers in the 150-seat legislative body to be officially confirmed.

By Thea Morrison