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Georgia's PM Sacks Defence Minister, Foreign Minister Resigns

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  • Georgia's PM Sacks Defence Minister, Foreign Minister Resigns

    GEORGIA'S PM SACKS DEFENCE MINISTER, FOREIGN MINISTER RESIGNS

    12:28, 05 Nov 2014

    Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili fired his defence minister
    on Tuesday hours after he criticised the arrests of several officials
    in his ministry as politically motivated and aimed at those who favour
    better relations with the West, Reuters reports.

    Alasania, one of the most pro-Western and most popular ministers,
    had earlier denounced the detention of one former and four serving
    ministry officials last week, as well as new charges filed against
    several army medical officers on Tuesday.

    "I want to unambiguously state that this is obviously politically
    motivated," he told reporters.

    "I want to clearly state that this is an attack on Georgia's
    Euro-Atlantic choice," he said, referring to Georgia's stated interest
    in joining NATO and its recent trade deal with the European Union.

    "This is an attack on the structure, which ... is distinguished by
    its successful reforms and is distinguished on the path of achieving
    this foreign policy goal," he said.

    Garibashvili called Alasania's remarks "irresponsible."

    "Instead of contributing to the investigation in order to help
    establish objective truth in the case, Irakly Alasania's actions
    are causing a politicisation of the defence ministry and of the
    armed forces, which is categorically inadmissible for me and which
    negatively affects our country's security and the efficiency of the
    government's work," Garibashvili said.

    Alexy Petriashvili, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic
    Integration and also from the Free Democrats, said after the
    announcement he would tender his resignation by letter to Garibashvili
    on Wednesday.

    Foreign Minister, Maia Panjikidze, has filed her resignation on
    November 5 a day after PM Irakli Garibashvili sacked Defense Minister
    Irakli Alasania, which was then also followed by stepping down of State
    Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alexi Petriashvili,
    civil.ge reports.

    First Deputy Foreign Minister, Davit Zalkaliani, who was also
    Georgia's chief negotiator in the Geneva talks, has also announced
    about resignation; Zalkaliani is a member of Alasania's Free Democrats
    party. Three other deputies of foreign minister - Tamar Beruchashvili;
    Davit Jalagania and Vladimer Gurgenidze - are also stepping down,
    Panjikidze said.

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/11/05/georgias-pm-sacks-defence-minister-foreign-minister-resigns/

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