Ex-Pm Kvirikashvili Thanks Outgoing President Margvelashvili
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, December 11
Former Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, has released a statement, thanking the outgoing President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili for his hard work and activities while holding the post.
Kvirikashvili’s Facebook post reads that while working in the same period, he and Margvelashvili often had various views but it did not prevent them from taking care of the country.
“As former Prime Minister of Georgia, but today as a regular citizen, I would like to thank Giorgi Margvelashvili for his service to the country. I wish him success in his future activities,” the post of Kvirikashvili reads.
Kvirikashvili was Prime Minister of Georgia from 30 December 2015 to 13 June 2018. Prior to that, he was Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development from 25 October 2012 until 1 September 2015, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1 September 2015 until 30 December 2015, and Deputy Prime Minister from 26 July 2013 until 30 December 2015.
Kvirikashvili has led initiatives to advance Euro-Atlantic and European integration and highlight Georgia as an attractive location for foreign investment.
On 20 June 2018, Mamuka Bakhtadze, who previously served as Kvirikashvili's Minister of Finance, was approved by the Georgian Parliament as the PM of the country.
As for Margvelashvili, his term expires on December 16, when the country’s first female president, Salome Zourabichvili takes an oath and officially occupies the post for 6 years.
A philosopher by education, Margvelashvili was twice the rector of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2012.
In October 2012, he became a member of the ruling party Georgian Dream as Minister of Education and Science of Georgia. In February 2013, he was additionally appointed as First Deputy Prime Minister. Margvelashvili was named by the GD founder Bidzina Ivanishvili as the party’s presidential candidate in May 2013 and he won the October 2013 presidential election with 62% of votes.
Margvelashvili is not a member of any political party.
