Kakha Bendukidze, 48, has been involved in private businesses in Russia since 1990. He runs Russia's largest heavy engineering corporation and boasts an order book that exceeds $1 billion.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania announced on the first of June that there will be a reshuffling of the cabinet in a few days. He said that the Russian-based tycoon, Kakha Bendukidze, a native Georgian, will be nominated as Georgia’s new Minister of the Economy. He did not unveil other anticipated changes in the government, but he did however add that "certain structural changes might also occur in the government."

Kakha Bendukidze, who was president and chief executive officer of Russia’s largest private heavy engineering corporation, United Heavy Machinery, will replace Irakli Rekhviashvili as the Economy Minister.

"He [Kakha Bendukidze] has a good reputation. We have invited him because of his innovative ideas. Our ultimate goal is to develop Georgia’s economy and we think Kakha Bendukidze’s experience will help us in this," Zurab Zhvania said.

He said that Kakha Bendukidze is not presently involved in any business activities in Russia, owing in part to his newly appointed activities in Georgia. Zhvania also said that granting Georgian citizenship to Bendukidze, who is currently a Russian citizen, "is not a problem."

Kakha Bendukidze attended the Russian-Georgian Economic Forum in Tbilisi on May 27-29. The decision concerning his appointment was made during this visit. In his comments regarding this forum on May 31st, President Saakashvili described Kakha Bendukidze as "a real patriot of Georgia."

Kakha Bendukidze, 48, graduated from the University of Tbilisi in 1977 before earning a Ph.D. in biology. He has been involved in the private business sector in Russia since 1990.

According to the 50 Key Players in Business and Politics in Russia, 2003 (published by the United Financial Group and the Russian Economic Forum,) after buying Uralmash, the largest engineering plant in Russia, Bendukidze acquired a number of other plants "choosing carefully the most promising niches in the Russian engineering sector."

According to the same source, Bendukidze combined Russia’s largest plants, including nuclear power machinery, shipbuilding and mining, and turned his holdings "into diversified and growing businesses with an order book exceeding $1 billion."

Kakha Bendukidze will be the second member of the Georgian government who holds a foreign passport. Georgian Foreign Minister, Salome Zourabichvili, also a native Georgian, was granted Georgian citizenship by President Saakashvili, while still retaining her French passport as well.

Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania said that Kakha Bendukidze will arrive in Georgia in a couple of days.

Zurab Zhvania appreciated the work of the former Economy Minister, Irakli Rekhviashvili, and was quick to note that Mr. Rekhviashvili will stay in the government and lead one of the departments in the Chancellery, heading up coordination reforms in the governmental bodies.

The Georgian Prime Minister also said that other changes in the cabinet are anticipated within two or three days, however he gave no immediate details.

Zhvania did not rule out changes in the structure of the government itself and commented that "We have already implemented some important structural reforms, but every working day shows that further improvements are needed."