PM Garibashvili introduces Mindia Janelidze as new Defence Minister
Tweet 
Share
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has introduced the country's new Defence Minister today.
Mindia Janelidze, 35, who currently held the role of Secretary of the State Security and Crisis Management Council, will take the post after previous Minister Irakli Alasania was dismissed by the PM yesterday.
Janelidze said he fully realized his new responsibility and listed several principles his future governance would be based on:
- He said the development course of the Armed Forces would remain the same – it would be oriented on Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration and would continue its partnership with the United States, Britain, France, Germany and other strategic partners;
- Janelidze said each and every officer and soldier of the Armed Forces would be respected;
- He stressed the Army would be independent and it would not be involved in politics;
- Janelidze vowed the Defence Ministry would take care of the families of those who lost their lives or health while serving the country;
- And he said his governance would be based on the rule of law and transparency.
Meanwhile, ex-Defence Minister Alasania yesterday said Janelidze was a patriot and he would continue the reforms started at the Defence Ministry.
"I know Mindia Janelidze and I’m sure he is a patriot of our country,” Alasania said, adding he would meet the new Minister and hand over the Ministry to him.
Until now, Janelidze was the Secretary of the State Security and Crisis Management Council, which was created earlier this year upon the Georgian Government’s decision. The council was an advisory board for Prime Minister Garibashvili and was under his direct subordination. Accordingly, the Prime Minister was head of the Council.
In the PM's welcome, he said Janelidze graduated from the Academy of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MIA) and was a specialist counterintelligence agent/lawyer. He received additional special education abroad in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Janelidze started his career at the Counterintelligence Department of the MIA and has been working in various positions since then.
He served as head of the Operative Service Department first and then as head of the Counterintelligence Department of the MIA since late 2012 when Prime Minister Garibashvili held the post of Interior Minister.
Janelidze’s military rank is Vice Colonel and he has received the Medal of Honour and a departmental award for "high professionalism”. He speaks English, Russian and Turkish languages. Janelidze is married with a wife and three children.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili made a special statement at a briefing after his meeting with the coalition majority at the Georgian Dream coalition office this evening, where he announced he had dismissed the country’s Defence Minister Irakli Alasania.
Georgia’s Defence Minister Irakli Alasania believes two criminal investigations related to the Ministry of Defense and general staff of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) was "obviously politically motivated”.
State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili announced his resignation during a live interview with the Georgian Maestro TV after receiving news of the dismissal of his political ally Defence Minister Irakli Alasania. Alasania was fired by the Prime Minister last evening.
Georgia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has once again been brought into the public spotlight after the Chief Prosecutors Office announced negligence charges against several Ministry officials today.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze resigned a day after Prime Minister sacked Defense Minister Irakli Alasania after he criticized the arrests of several Defence Ministry officials as politically motivated and an "attack on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic choice”.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili believes allegations made by recently dismissed Defence Minister Irakli Alasania and former Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze that the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic policy threats are "ridiculous and naïve.”
Free Democrats - the party led by ex-Defence Minister Irakli Alasania – have left the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) coalition.
This decision was announced by Alasania when he and his team left the broader meeting of the political council of the GD coalition only ten minutes after it started.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is calling statements of three former high officials who left their duties this week – one was dismissed and two resigned) - as "totally irresponsible” and their actions of quitting their duties could be seen as "sabotage” against country.
The country’s recently-dismissed Defence Minister Irakli Alasania has refused future cooperation with Georgia’s opposition party United National Movement (UNM).
The Georgian leader believed the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) coalition would have the majority in Parliament despite Alasania and members of the Free Democrats quitting the coalition and the Government will continue to work more effectivly.
Justice Minister continues role, optimistic about Georgia’s European future "There is no bright future for Georgia if it diverts from its European path,” said Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani.
Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili says he is confident Georgia’s domestic and foreign policy was clearly defined and any suggestion that there is a threat to the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration are unreasonable.
European Union (EU) Ambassador to Georgia Janos Herman is responding to the political developments in Georgia and says he is confident in Georgia’s European integration.
Commander of the United States Army Europe, Lieutenant- General Ben Hodges is on an official visit to Georgia.
It is Hodges’s first official visit since he was appointed to the role at the beginning of this month.