The President of Georgia introduced new ministers to the staff members of the ministries of defense, education and science, and internal affairs. Mikheil Saakashvili focused attention on the fact that Khatia Dekanoidze has done important work in the education sphere while introducing her. According to him, Khatia Dekanoidze assumed management of the Police Academy during a very hard time period and she practically formed it from scratch. As the President noted, the new minister will continue on the course set by Dimitri Shashkin, and her task will be to sophisticate it even more.

“It is a fact that Khatia Dekanoidze has diplomatic experience. She worked at our embassy in the United States for several years during very hard time. She formed the Police Academy from scratch, which is not a police type organization. It is an educational facility which has a very important purpose. We have to continue what started back in 2004 – an education reform, which started with united national exams of Kakha Lomaia, and will continue with us now.” – noted the Head of State.

Mikheil Saakashvili also introduced the new minister to the staff of the Ministry of Defense. According to the President, many successful initiatives and reforms are related to Dimitri Shashkin’s name. As the Head of State noted, his transfer to the Ministry of Defense was caused by the fact that for a fairly long time he was heading the local office of the Republican Institute. And now according to Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia is beginning an important process of integrating the Georgian Armed Forces in the international system, including with that of the United States. As the President stated, this project has a colossal importance for the country and Dimitri Shashkin’s experience is a guarantor of the success of this program.

“Dimitri Shashkin is a very experienced manager. He has gained experience in several important spheres. He came to government from the private sector and headed several ministries. He was the Minister of Corrections, then the Minister of Education and Science and he will now be the Minister of Defense. He implemented important changes and reforms in every sphere and he is a highly qualified manager and one of the greatest Georgian patriots. I think Dima will have interesting ideas and nobody will have problems working with him because he is an incredibly collegial, open, and democratic person” – stated the President of Georgia.

In the end, the Head of State met with the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to whom he introduced their new minister Bacho Akhalaia. As the President told them, Bacho Akhalaia’s merit is the fact that in correction and defense ministries he implemented successful reforms. According to Mikheil Saakashvili, he restored order at the correctional system and he will now manage the government body which serves to ensure the order in Georgia and giving citizens a peaceful life.

“The Police is a well organized, one of the most effective Georgian structures. Transferring its manager as Prime Minister means that he was a very successful manager. We have discussed this issue together and it was Vano Merabishvili’s request to appoint Bacho Akhalaia as his successor” – noted the President of Georgia.