TBILISI. – Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Garibashvili, 31, who is the youngest minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, will replace the latter as PM. 

“Georgia will have an influential European government and a worthy PM,” Ivanishvili said Saturday, nominating Garibashvili to this post. 

To note, although the nomination of Georgia’s next premier was approved by the country’s ruling coalition, the name of the candidate was kept secret.   

Ivanishvili will resign on November 24; that is, ten days after the inauguration of Georgia’s President-elect Giorgi Margvelashvili.  

“While working as minister, Irakli Garibashvili has proved that he is also worthy of the office of the prime minister. The PM will have greater powers, and Irakli will correspond to that office,” Ivanishvili said, Novosti Gruzia reports.     

In response, Garibashvili pledged to continue Bidzina Ivanishvili’s policy, and thanked Ivanishvili for his confidence in him.  

He added that no dramatic changes are expected in the current government.

But Irakli Garibashvili refrained from announcing the name of the candidate for the new interior minister of Georgia.