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Georgian parliament confirms new PM and government

The Georgian parliament on Wednesday, November 20, confirmed the nomination of Irakly Garibashvili as the new prime minister and supported the government line-up proposed by him

© EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

TBILISI, November 20, 22:03 /ITAR-TASS/. The Georgian parliament on Wednesday, November 20, confirmed the nomination of Irakly Garibashvili as the new prime minister and supported the government line-up proposed by him.

Garibashvili announced the government’s line-up on November 18.

According to the Georgian Constitution, the country’s government is relieved from its powers after the newly elected president takes office but continues to perform its duties until a new government is formed.

Following the inauguration of Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili, the government resigned, and the new head of state instructed the outgoing Cabinet to perform its functions until the parliament approves a new government.

The party or union that has a majority in the parliament nominates a candidate for premiership. The parliamentary majority composed of members of the ruling coalition Georgian Dream nominated Garibashvili as a candidate for premiership. Following the president’s approval of his nomination, Garibashvili presented a new composition of the government to the parliament.

He also presented a new government’s programme to the parliament, pledging to continue to constructively participate in the Geneva talks in order to settle the conflict between Russia and Georgia.

Among priorities Garibashvili named commitment to the European Union and Euro-Atlantic integration.

After the association agreement with the European Union has been initialled at the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on November 28-29, the Georgian “government will continue working actively to sign it before the autumn of 2014.”

According to Garibashvili, the government will also continue to implement the Annual National Programme as part of Euro-Atlantic integration and hold meetings within the framework of the NATO-Georgia Commission.

The government will also take energetic efforts to “deepen the dialogue with the United States at the top level in the field of trade and investment and initiate the signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries,” Garibashvili said.

He vowed that cooperation between Georgia and the United States, as its main ally, would continue in accordance with the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

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