Cabinet reshuffle: Georgia has new Foreign, Economy Ministers

Georgia has two new Ministers following an overnight reshuffle in Cabinet.

Incumbent Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili was today named as the country’s new Foreign Minister after Tamar Beruchashvili left the Foreign Minister role. Additionally Kvirikashvili will maintain his role as Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister.

Kvirikashvili’s vacancy as Economy Minister allowed Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi Dimitri Kumsishvili to step into the position. He earlier served as Georgia’s Deputy Economy Minister.

Kvirikashvili and Kumsishvili were presented to the public by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili earlier this morning. Garibashvili did not specify the reasons behind the reshuffle or state why Beruchashvili left the Foreign Minister role, however he did say Beruchashvili’s future job would be decided by the new Foreign Minister.

"I want Giorgi, the new Foreign Minister, to decide where Mrs. Tamar [Beruchashvili] will work,” said Garibashvili.

"I want to thank [Beruchashvili] because she is a professional in what she does and she achieved much as Georgia’s Foreign Minister”.

Meanwhile Garibashvili stressed he was confident the new Ministers were perfectly suited to their new roles and they would be "effective” leaders.

Outgoing Economy Minister Kvirikashvili, 48, has held the role since 2012. The US-educated man has over 12 years’ experience in the financial sector, including commercial bank leadership at CEO level at one of Georgia's top five group member banks. He is also an experienced economic policy adviser.

During his career Kvirikashvili was involved in the USAID pension reform in Armenia and in the World Bank Project - Secured Corporate Obligations Market. From 2006-2011 he was the general director of Tbilisi-based Cartu Bank.

From 1999 to 2004 Kvirikashvili was a Member of the Parliament of Georgia and Deputy Chairman of the Economic Policy Committee. In 1999 he was Deputy Head of the Fiscal, Monetary-Credit and Foreign Economic Service at the State Chancellery and head of the group of development of small and medium business of joint program of the Georgian Government and the USAID.

Meanwhile 41-year-old Kumsishvili has held the role of Tbilisi Deputy Mayor since March 2015. Earlier, the economist by education held the role of First Deputy Economy Minister from November 2015.

Over the years Kumsishvili worked as the director of business development at Tbilisi-based Palitra Media, chairman of the Supervisory Board and co-founder at Rational Solutions. He was the CEO and co-founder of the Startup & Innovative Business Investment Fund. He also has held different roles at Cartu Bank, including First Deputy General Director and Head of the Treasury Department.