Georgia has a new prime minister. Irakli Kobakhidze nomination was approved by parliament on Thursday (8 February). The appointment was subsequently signed by the Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili.
A handout by the ruling Georgian Dream party this morning described Kobakhidze as "an experienced leader in Georgia’s government. Since 2015, he has been an integral part of the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, and most prominently, served as its Chairman in the last few years.
As the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament (2016-2019), he oversaw the implementation of broad constitutional reforms that established Georgia’s parliamentary system, strengthened political and human rights, secured the independence of the judiciary and local self-government, and constitutionally reaffirmed Georgia’s integration into the European Union and NATO.
He has also been actively involved in academia, holding positions at Tbilisi State University and Caucasus University, while also contributing his expertise to the United Nations Development Programme.
Kobakhidze is a constitutional scholar, who studied at Tbilisi State University and Germany, and earned a doctorate in law from the University of Dusseldorf."
In his acceptance speech in Parliament yesterday, Kobakhidze spoke about the success of the Georgian Dream party in Government, adding "I would like to give you a promise that together with the government team consisting of experienced professionals I will serve the interests of our country, our motherland, and I will do my best for its progress and success."
