About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Foreign Minister Panjikidze Resigns
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 5 Nov.'14 / 12:35


Maia Panjikidze announces about her resignation as foreign minister; deputy foreign ministers Davit Zalkaliani (right), Tamar Beruchashvili (second from left) and Vladimer Gurgenidze have also resigned, November 5, 2014.

Foreign Minister, Maia Panjikidze, has filed for 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.

Panjikidze, unlike Petriashvili, is not a member of Alasania’s Free Democrats party, but her resignation did not come as a surprise; she is sister of Alasania’s wife.
 
It remains to be seen if Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani, who is affiliated with the Free Democrats party, will follow suit.

Panjikidze said in a statement for the press in the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday noon that she is also quitting Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia, party founded by ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili and now chaired by PM Garibashvili.

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.

“Over the past two years in our team has achieved maximum of what was possible in the foreign policy. We have been standing firmly in defense of the European and Euro-Atlantic values,” Panjikidze said and then listed among achievements “putting to rest skepticism of our allies and partners towards our European and Euro-Atlantic course since new government came into power.”

“As we see that not only our future activities, but also achievements made by us are endangered we decided to [resign],” Panjikidze said. “Country’s European choice was made by the Georgian people… and my team, which was able and obliged to fulfill that goal, cannot betray this choice of the Georgian people and we could not but demonstrate with this step [of resignation] those threats which the country is facing.”

Before being sacked from Defense Minister’s post on November 4, Irakli Alasania said that recent developments involving arrests of MoD and general staff officials, as well as newly filed charges against army medical officers were “obviously politically” motivated and an “attack on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic choice.”

Davit Zalkaliani, who stepped down from the post the first deputy foreign minister, and who is a member of the Free Democrats party, said: “Regrettably questions have emerged about our country’s foreign policy course.”

PM Irakli Garibashvili said on November 5 that resignation of Panjikidze and Petriashvili was not a surprise for him. He said that he will name new foreign minister and state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration in coming days.

“I regret that Maia Panjikidze expressed solidarity towards her family member [referring to Alasania] instead of her country,” PM Garibashvili said. 

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2024, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
14