Posts to the new government are officially transferred
By Keti Arjevanidze
Monday, October 29
The new ministers have been officially handed their posts by the former ministers. The Georgian Dream candidates visited the ministries on October 26. Their working priorities have been revealed.
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the old and new government’s priorities coincide. “Georgia’s foreign priorities haven't changed, we will maintain our integration process with the EU and Euro Atlantic structures,” said Maia Phanjikidze, minister of Foreign Affairs. “Russia is an occupier country, it has opened embassies in Sokhumi and Tskhinvali, until this is resolved, diplomatic relations with Russia will not be restored,” added Phanjikidze.
Minister of Education, Giorgi Margvelashvili, with deputy-Tamar Sanikidze and head of the National Examination Center, Maia Miminoshvili, held their first work day in the ministry. According to Margvelashvili, the main issues of discussion were the changes which the ministry is going to perform in the near future. Margvelashvili said that the system of education should be free from politics and the level of education should be higher. About staff changes, Margvelashvili excluded the dismissal of any employees. He explained that only the deputies will be changed. “The first change is the general-system’s de-politization, to supply with more quality and more finance and involvement in the processes, which is called integration with the European intellectual space-Bolonic process,” said Margvelashvili.
Davit Darakhvelidze, the minister of Internally Displaced Persons, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia, visited the ministry on the same day as well. Dali Khomeriki, the former Minister of Refugees, introduced the new minister to the employees.
According to the new minister, the main priority will be the solution of the willful invasion of the refugees and the supplying of the refugees with firewood in winter.
The first working meeting was held by Alexi Petriashvili-state minister of integration with European and Euro-Atlantic structures issues. According to Petriahsvili, his main aim is to assist Georgia to integrate with EU and NATO.
A staff change is not expected in the department, “all the employees will maintain in current working places, as there are concrete directions which need immediate and immense actions “said Petraishvili.
Former state minister of Diaspora issues, Papuna Davitaia handed the post to new minister Kote Surguladze in state chancellery. According to the new minister, their main target of the government team will be to develop the economy in the country and create new jobs, which will give the opportunity to Georgian emigrants to come back to their country. According to Surguladze, to accomplish their aims its necessary to have a professional staff, but they are not going to dismiss employees from the ministry against their wish. Surguladze said that the emigrants’ return in the country will not be an artificial process, for this, accommodations will be made. Davitaia expressed a hope that the new government will continue the job which his department began.
Sozar Subari, the Minister of Probation, also visited his department; he started his work day by removing the president’s photo from the cabinet of the ministry of probation.
Irakli Gharibashvili, the Minister of Internal Affairs was handed the post by Eka Zghuladze. “There will be created new structural units, it will be the state security department, and it will be a very strong non-corrupt agency. According to Gharibashvili, the Special Operation Department will be abolished; its functions will combine the Criminal Police Department.
Mariam Valiashvili-former deputy minister of energy, met Kakha Kaladze, the new minister of the department, who said that the main priority will be to decrease the tariffs, “Our aim is to get over with winter; based on the negotiations, it’s possible to determine how it is possible to decrease the tariffs’, said Kaladze.
For Davit Narmania, the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the first priority is to continue the already started important projects and the rehabilitations of infrastructure. Deputy of Davit Narmania will be Tengiz Shergelashvili and Shota Murghulia.
