Four Georgians appointed in Government of Ukraine

Four Georgians have been presented as high officials in the Ukraine government, stated Ukrainian news agency Liga.net.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko presented all four candidates today. They will work on system reforms.

Gia Getsadze, who served in various high-ranking positions under ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration until mid-2005, is set to become Deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine.

At a news conference Petrenko said Getsadze, in his role as deputy minister, would be in charge of the country's anti-corruption policy, staffing and reforms commission.

Petrenko also introduced several other former Georgian officials who will join the Ukrainian Justice Ministry. These are Jaba Ebanoidze, ex-head of Georgia’s Revenue Service, who also served at various posts in Georgia’s Justice Ministry from 2006-2011; Khatia Shelia who was head of the legal department at the National Bureau of Enforcement under the Justice Ministry; and Giorgi Tsiklauri, former head of the state online registry of legal acts.

"Jaba Ebanoidze has worked with our team for nine months as head of an expert group to develop a reform concept for the registration service of Ukraine,” Petrenko said.

As for Tsiklauri, Petrenko said he had "great experience" during his time working in Georgia’s registration service. 

"He agreed to work with us. He will implement reforms in the Ministry of Justice together with Ebanoidze,” The Ukrainian Minister said.

Petrenko said the appointments would be made official after the Georgian officials received Ukrainian citizenship.

Announcement about Ukraine’s intention to appoint Getsadze as deputy justice minister was first made by Georgia's former president Saakashvili on his Facebook page on January 14. Saakashvili said Getsadze was his "friend” who had been his "close adviser" for many years.

Representatives of the Georgian majority assessed this action of the Ukrainian government as a "mistake".

Earlier, two other Georgian ex-officials, Aleksandre Kvitashvili and Eka Zguladze, were appointed to high-ranking roles within the Ukrainian government.