Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgia's parliament on Thursday confirmed billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili as prime minister and his cabinet of ministers in a vote of confidence passed at its sitting in the city of Kutaisi.

The new cabinet, formed after the October 1 parliamentary election won by Ivanishvili's opposition coalition Georgian Dream, includes several ex-diplomats, veteran politicians from the pre-Rose Revolution government of former President Eduard Shevardnadze, and inexperienced newcomers like retired AC Milan football star Kakha Kaladze, who becomes energy minister.

Ivanishvili has vowed to maintain incumbent President Mikheil Saakashvili's pro-Western foreign policy and continue the ex-Soviet state's bid to join NATO and ultimately the European Union.

"Our team's priority is the aspiration to join the European Union, Euroatlantic orientation and integration into NATO," Ivanishvili told lawmakers.

The new prime minister, who made much of his estimated $6.4 billion fortune in Russia, is seen as someone who might mend ties with Moscow. He has promised to improve the relations with Russia, which fought a brief war with Georgia in 2008 and strongly opposes Tbilisi's NATO ambitions.

"We will start a dialogue with Russia using international mechanisms that will help overcome the current crisis step by step," Ivanishvili said, adding that he would focus first on restoring economic and cultural ties.

Parliament simultaneously endorsed the Ivanishvili government's program, which envisages increased social welfare spending, development of the agriculture sector and reform of law enforcement agencies. Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) party has said it will work with Ivanishvili's bloc for the well-being of the country, but deep divisions remain after the bitterly fought election campaign.

"We will take care of every single person, develop democratic institutions and establish the rule of law," Ivanishvili told MPs.

"A year has passed since I made my first political statement. The first stage has ended and we came to power. I consider that I have come to power with a very interesting team. The stage of realizing our promises and dreams has started. The whole team is focused on the beginning of a real rebirth of the Georgian economy," Ivanishvili told journalists.

First of all, he pledged "to restore the feeling of justice" in the country.

"We have assumed a rather big responsibility by giving serious promises. But I promise the people of Georgia that we will do much more than we have promised.... I will spare neither my funds, nor my energy or my life to deliver on these promises," Ivanishvili said.

Ivanishvili said the government's priorities would include support for small and medium-sized business and development of agriculture. He promised to ease government control of business, eliminate monopolies and make benefits fairer.

MPs from the UNM party criticized the program presented by Ivanishvili, who entered politics only a year ago.

"There are no specific terms and dates in this program, there are no answers to many questions that are of interest to our society," MP Pavle Kublashvili said.

The minority voted against the new staff of the government. Its leader, David Bakradze, said the minority cannot take responsibility for the activity of the new government, but wishes it success.

"You must understand that this is the Georgian government, rather than the government of Georgian Dream coalition," he said. "We support this government, which will improve the lives of the Georgian people."

Georgia's parliamentary poll, the seventh in the country's post-independence history, was held through a mixed election system with the participation of 14 parties and two political blocs. Georgian Dream won 85-seat majority in parliament, leaving 65 seats to President Saakashvili's UNM.

Ivanishvili will have to work together with Saakashvili for the first year of the new government, after which the president is due to step down to allow a successor to be elected.