Dimitri Kitoshvili, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's parliamentary secretary, has made a statement on the president's behalf concerning staff changes in the government. He announced that Georgia's health, labour and social protection minister, Vladimer Chipashvili, would become Georgia's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Czech Republic. Current ambassador Kakha Sikharulidze will return to the Foreign Ministry while Chipashvili will be replaced as health minister by Davit Tqeshelashvili, who until now had served as environment and natural resources minister. That post will be filled by current first deputy environment minister Davit Chantladze.

Kitoshvili said that this move would result in a change of more than a third of the government. Therefore, in accordance with article 811 of the Constitution, the Georgian president will instruct the prime minister to submit the new composition of the government to parliament for approval.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia