Irakli Garibashvili
| Irakli Garibashvili ირაკლი ღარიბაშვილი | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th Prime Minister of Georgia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 20 November 2013 | |
| President | Giorgi Margvelashvili |
| Preceded by | Bidzina Ivanishvili |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | |
| In office 25 October 2012 – 17 November 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | Bidzina Ivanishvili |
| Preceded by | Ekaterine Zguladze (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Aleksandre Chikaidze |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 June 1982 Tbilisi, Soviet Union (now Georgia) |
| Political party | Georgian Dream |
| Spouse(s) | Nunuka Tamazashvili |
| Children | Nikoloz Andria Gabriel |
| Alma mater | Tbilisi State University Pantheon-Sorbonne University |
| Religion | Georgian Orthodoxy |
| Signature |  |
Irakli Garibashvili (Georgian: ირაკლი ღარიბაშვილი, also transliterated as Gharibashvili) (born June 28, 1982[1]) is the Prime Minister of Georgia since 20 November 2013, and is a former business executive.
Garibashvili entered politics with his long-time associate, the businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, in October 2012. He served as Minister of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Bidzina Ivanishvili from 2012 to 2013. Ivanishvili named Garibashvili as his successor as Prime Minister when he voluntarily stepped down in November 2013.[2]
At 32 years of age, he is the 2nd youngest state leader in the world after Kim Jong-un.
Early career
Born in Tbilisi, Irakli Garibashvili graduated from the Tbilisi State University (TSU) with a degree in International Relations in 2004. He also studied at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University from 2002 to 2004 and obtained a master's degree in International Relations from the TSU in 2005. Since 2004, he has worked with the multi-billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, becoming Director General of Ivanishvili's charity foundation Cartu in 2005, a member of the supervisory board of Ivanishvili's Cartu Bank in 2007 and director of the label Georgian Dream founded by Ivanishvili's pop-star son Bera in 2009.[3]
Gharibashvili became involved in the politics of Georgia when Ivanishvili founded his political party Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia in February 2012. He was included in the party list of MP candidates for the October 2012 parliamentary election.
In 1999-2004, he attended Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Department of International Law and International Affairs.
In 2001-2002, concurrently with his educational course, Garibashvili did an internship at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.
In 2002-2004, Garibashvili attended Pantheon-Sorbonne University, Department of Political Science, majoring in international affairs.
After having returned to Georgia in 2005, he continued his education in Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and received master’s degree in international affairs.[4]
Business career
In 2004-2005, Garibashvili worked for “Burji”, a company owned by Cartu Group.
In 2005-2008, Garibashvili served as Vice President of Cartu Group JSC.
From 2006 to February 14, 2012, he served as Chair of the Board of the Cartu International Charity Foundation.
In 2006, Irakli Garibashvili served as a personal representative of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of San Marino to Georgia.
In 2007-2012, he served as a member of the Cartu Bank JSC Supervisory Board. In the period, a number of important humanitarian projects and programs were implemented in the fields of culture, education, agriculture, sports, healthcare, social affairs, and other fields.
Early political career
Prior to the 2012 parliamentary elections, Irakli Garibashvili was actively involved in the work of the Georgian Dream public movement and the activities of the Georgian Dream political coalition.
On February 15, 2012, he became a founding member of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia political party and the head of the party’s revision committee.
After the coalition won the 2012 parliamentary election on October 1, Irakli Garibashvili became a party-list representative of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party in the 2012 convocation of the Parliament of Georgia.[5]
Minister of Internal Affairs
After Georgian Dream's victory in the 2012 parliamentary election, Garibashvili was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Ivanishvili on October 25, 2012. Garibashvili, then 30 years old and described by the Georgian media as "Ivanishvili's right-hand man", became the youngest member of Georgia's new government. Reforming the Interior Ministry, a powerful agency overseeing police, security and intelligence services, as well as the border guard and navy, was a part of the Georgian Dream's pre-election agenda.[6]
From 2012 through 2013, the Interior Ministry arrested several high-ranking officials from the previous government, including the former ministers Bachana Akhalaia and Ivane Merabishvili. This led to concerns regarding selective justice and political vengeance and drew criticism from the domestic opposition and the international media.[7] Garibashvili's agency also faced the post-election spike in crime in Georgia. Garibashvili defended the arrests as being in strict accordance with the law and justice and claimed that the rate of minor crime, albeit increased, was not alarming.[8][9]
Prime Minister
On November 2, 2013, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who had declared his intention to quit the government following the October 2013 presidential election, named Garibashvili as his successor.[10] He and his cabinet won in a vote of 93-19[11] in the Parliament of Georgia on 20 November 2013. Garibashvili thus occupied the most powerful political office in the country as the constitution amendments had transferred power from the president to the prime minister and the government. At heated parliamentary debates with the United National Movement minority during the vote, Garibashvili promised economic improvement and stressed that Georgia's EU and NATO aspiration would remain his foreign priorities.[2] On 24 November 2013, he was elected chairman of the Georgian Dream–Democratic Georgia party, succeeding Ivanishvili.[12]
Government initiatives
According to Prime Minister Garibashvili, the goal of the government is to build a state with social justice as its foundation.
The Georgian Government gives priority to the development of economy, promotion of business, creation of new workplaces, development of agriculture, and universal access to education and healthcare.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili decreed the establishment of the Security and Crisis Management Council to ensure the effective and prompt fulfillment of the duties and obligations of the Government of Georgia, as stipulated in the new Constitution of Georgia.[13]
In addition, in line with a relevant decision by Prime Minister Garibashvili, the Unified Coordination Center for Crisis Management will be created. To this end, the Georgian Government will be assisted by American, British, and Israeli partners.[14]
With a view to ensuring the coordination of the country’s economic policy, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili established the Economic Council.[15]
Human Rights
Irakli Garibashvili’s Cabinet prioritizes the implementation of policies focusing on respect for human rights, including the rights of all minorities.
The Georgian Government initiated, and the European Union directly supported, the development of the Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan. A relevant statement was made by Prime Minister Garibashvili at the Human Rights Conference, on December 4, 2013. The Human Rights Strategy covers seven years and will not depend on the political cycle.[16]
Foreign Policy
The foreign policy of Georgia builds upon ensuring the country’s national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The Georgian Government gives priority to the accession to the European Union and Euro-Atlantic integration.
In November 2012, the EU Association Agreement was initialed at the Vilnius Summit.
At the invitation of US Vice President Joseph Biden, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili visited Washington in February 2014. The work meeting between Georgian Prime Minister and US Vice President Joseph Biden was joined by US President Barack Obama. It was pointed out at the meeting between Prime Minister and President that the White House strongly supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and will always pay due attention to this issue. President Obama expressed his full support for the process of Georgia’s European integration, thanked the Georgian people for being a reliable partner and participating in peacemaking operations. Obama pledged to provide Georgia with support in the implementation of political, economic, and military reforms. President Obama commended the constructive policy of the Georgian Government towards Russia. He pointed out that US-Georgia economic relations will intensify. Within the framework of this visit, Prime Minister Garibashvili met with more than thirty influential American politicians. Georgian Prime Minister was covered by all major international media outlets.[17]
On June 27, 2014 EU-Georgian Association Agreement was signed.[18]
Personal life
Garibashvili is married to Nunuka Tamazashvili (born 1983), with three sons, Nikoloz (born 2005), Andria (born 2010), and Gabriel (born 2015). His father-in-law, Tamaz Tamazashvili, is a former police general who was arrested on charges of illegally carrying and keeping weapon and explosives in October 2011. Garibashvili, a member of then-opposition Georgian Dream party, claimed the arrest was politically motivated. After the Georgian Dream acceded to power in October 2012, Tamazashvili was released from prison.[19]
References
- ↑ Prime Minister of Georgia: Irakli Garibashvili. Government of Georgia. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New PM Wins Confidence Vote. Civil Georgia. 20 November 2013.
- ↑ Irakli Garibashvili. Government of Georgia. Accessed December 8, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.netgazeti.ge/GE/105/News/25089/
- ↑ http://www.netgazeti.ge/GE/105/News/25089/
- ↑ New Interior Minister Names his Deputies. Civil Georgia. October 30, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
- ↑ Ivanishvili: Saakashvili's Lobbying 'Will Not Stop Restoring Justice'. Civil Georgia. November 30, 2012. Accessed December 8, 2012.
- ↑ Interior Minister: Recent arrests are fair. Georgian Online. November 12, 2012. Accessed December 8, 2012.
- ↑ Interior Minister speaks about the rise in crime. The Messenger. November 30, 2012. Accessed December 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Garibashvili Named as Next PM". Civil Georgia. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ↑ "Georgia's Parliament Approves New Prime Minister". ABC News. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ↑ Ivanishvili: 'I Quit Politics, But Remain Active Citizen'. Civil Georgia. 24 November 2013.
- ↑ http://pirweli.com.ge/index.php?menuid=8&id=53060
- ↑ http://1tv.ge/news-view/60326/
- ↑ http://newsport.ge/96866-ristvis-sheiqmna-premierministrtan-arsebuli-ekonomikuri-sabcho#.UsDKpNIW3AQ
- ↑ http://government.gov.ge/files/269_39132_757253
- ↑ http://government.gov.ge/
- ↑ "EU-Georgia relations". European External Action Service. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ↑ ""Political Motives of General Tamaz Tamazashvili's Imprisonment Was Doubtlessly Proved"". Humanrights.ge. PirWeli Information Agency. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Irakli Garibashvili. |
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Bidzina Ivanishvili |
Prime Minister of Georgia 2013–present |
Incumbent |
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