Georgia Foreign Minister Kvirikashvili front-runner for PM's post

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgia's ruling Georgia Dream coalition will nominate Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili as the next Prime Minister, a senior coalition lawmaker said Thursday, December 24, RFE/RL reports.

Kvirikashvili, 48, is expected to be formally named as the coalition's candidate for Prime Minister December 25 to replace Irakli Garibashvili, who announced his resignation December 23. Garibashvili remains the acting prime minister until Kvirikashvili is confirmed by the Parliament, Gia Volski said.

Volski chairs the largest faction within the ruling coalition in the Parliament. He said in an interview with a public broadcasting channel that senior lawmakers from the ruling coalition had a “lengthy discussion about candidates," Garibashvili agreeing with the choice of Kvirikashvili as the next leader.

Kvirikashvili was picked from four potential candidates. He will be presented as the prime ministerial nominee by Garibashvili, Volski said.

Kvirikashvili has served as Foreign Minister since September 2015. Before that, he was the Economy Minister.

Kvirikashvili spent most of his career in financial and banking before becoming Economy Minister in October 2012. He was a member of Parliament from 1999 to 2004 with the New Rights Party.