Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Georgia will most probably remember long the past two days as three cabinet ministers have resigned one after another on November 4 and 5.

The Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili firstly dismissed the Defense Minister Irakli Alasania on October 4, blaming him for politicizing the investigation into corruption claims in the ministry he headed. Alasania's unexpected firing triggered the Minister for Euro-Atlantic Issues, Alexi Petriashvili to step down on October 5. The strenuous scenario went on the Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze's resignation following Petriashvili.

Panjikidze, right after her resignation, claimed that Georgia's European integration was put under threat after the cabinet lost three ministers in two days.

But the PM Garibashvili stated that those events facing Georgia will not impede the South Caucasus country's aspirations for Euro-Atlantic approximation.

NATO Special Representative in the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai welcomed Garibashvili's words.

"I am glad that the Prime Minister clearly said these events will not hinder Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. NATO and personally I will back Georgia to get closer to the alliance and become a NATO member ," Appathurai said.

Georgia's Representative to NATO Levan Dolidze also prepares to announce about his resignation. Local media reported that Dolidze is holding last meetings at the NATO headquarters in Brussels and will reveal his resign following the meetings.

Levan Dolidze is the brother of one of the Our Georgia - Free Democrats party's leaders Victor Dolidze. The party heralded its withdrawal from the ruling coalition right after the PM Irakli Garibashvili said he dismissed the Defense Minister Irakli Alasania on October 4.

PM Garibashvili said on November 6 that all deputies of Georgian foreign minister, except the First Deputy David Zalkaliani, will remain at their posts.

"The deputies confirmed this decision in the morning today and we are glad for that decision," he said. Garibashvili added that this is a victory of statesmanship.

Garibashvili is now preparing to hold consultations with members of the Cabinet of Ministers to discuss the candidatures for the emptied Foreign Minister and State Minister for European Integration posts.

Georgian media outlets claim the Georgian Prime Minister's Special Representative for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, Permanent Representative of Georgia to OSCE Konstantin Zaldastanishvili, and Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations Tedo Japaridze to be candidates to fill Maia Panjikidze's shoes as a foreign minister. No candidate was named to replace Alexi Petriashvili as the minister for European integration.

The Cabinet of Ministers will also consider the Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili's address to the PM to immediately convene a government meeting to discuss the NATO and EU integration issues.