Giorgi Gakharia


Giorgi Gakharia is a Georgian politician and the Prime Minister since 8 September 2019.

Education

In 1992–1994 Gakharia studied at Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University, faculty of History. In 1994–1999 he studied at Lomonosov Moscow State University. He is a Master of Political Science. In 2002–2004 he studied at Lomonosov Moscow State University's Higher Business School. In 2006–2009 he was an invited lecturer in Applied Biotechnology at Moscow State University.

Business activity

From May, 2004 to November, 2008 Gakharia took the position of the Director-General of SFK Group; from November, 2008 to February, 2013 he took the position of the Director of Germany GR & Business Development at the Lufthansa Service Holding AG. in Eastern Europe, CIS countries and Russian Federation.

Political career

Giorgi Gakharia started his political career since March 2013, when he became the Business Ombudsman of Georgia, which he served in July 2016. From December 2014 to September 2016, Gakharia was the Secretary of Economic Council. He was appointed on 2. November 2016 to the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

Ministry of Internal Affairs

In November, 2017 the Government of Georgia was reshuffled, including the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; consequently, on November 13, 2017 Giorgi Gakharia was appointed to the post of the Minister of Internal Affairs, replacing Giorgi Mgebrishvili.

Infantry Patrol

Several months after the appointment, for ensuring the security for tourists and tourist areas the Infantry Patrol Subunit was created within the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry. Infantry patrol officers have received 3-week special retraining courses at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; all of them know one or more foreign languages. They are provided with modern police equipment, including the latest generation of shoulder cameras.

Human Rights Protection Department

was created on January 1, 2018, in one month from the appointment of Giorgi Gakharia to the position of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The competences of the Department cover the timely response and effective investigation into the cases such as domestic offenses, violence against women, crimes committed on the ground of discrimination, trafficking, crime by/against juveniles.

2019 Georgian protests

Gakharia's resignation as Interior Minister was sought during the 2019 Georgian protests, following a violent crackdown on protestors in June 2019.

Premier

He was nominated to the post of Prime Minister on 3 September 2019, to replace Mamuka Bakhtadze who had resigned the day before. The nomination of Gakharia was controversial, with some opposition parties leaving the parliamentary debate over his candidacy. However as the ruling Georgian Dream party has a supermajority, Gakharia was confirmed. After being nominated as the Prime Minister, on 8 September 2019, Gakharia's incoming cabinet won the parliamentary vote of confidence with 98 votes for with none against.