“My heart and soul remain with the army,” ex-Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who has been appointed Economy Minister, said on November 11.

Okruashvili made the remarks as he was holding his first meeting with the staff of the Ministry of Economic Development.

“I want to urge [the Economy Ministry] staff to help me concentrate all of my energies on this new job, because my heart and soul remain with the army. It is not easy to work with me, but it is interesting,” Okruashvili told the Economy Ministry staff.

“Lots of things have been done and lots of new initiatives need to be implemented in this Ministry,” he added.