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taken over by the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
"I am convinced that in introducing these changes, we will lay the foundation for the implementation of the small government concept, because this very type of government serves the interests of our people today,” Bakhtadze said, according to the statement.
He expressed the hope that slashing government ministries together with structural optimisation would result in a fall in government expenses to 3.9% of GDP .
2.3 Georgian PM resigns after failing to calm street protests
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili submitted his resignation on June 13, driven out of office after mass anti-government protests, originally sparked by the failure to convict the killer of a 16-year-old boy in a high-profile case, resumed.
Kvirikashvili talked of “disagreements” with the chairman of his Georgian Dream party, billionaire ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, while announcing his resignation.
Georgia’s richest man, Ivanishvilli announced his return to politics i n April and will return to the helm of the Georgian Dream party, which founded in 2012. While Kvirikashvili delivered the news in what seemed to be an amicable atmosphere between the two, Ivanishvilli’s comeback inevitably aroused speculation of what his future relationship with his successor would be, and whether he would again seek the country’s top job.
While not mentioning Ivanishvilli, Kvirikashvili referred to “different opinions between me and the governing team” over the economic policy pursued by his government that surfaced at the previous day’s cabinet meeting. There had already been rumours that Kvirikashvili and four of his ministers were considering resignation.
“Also, I would like to emphasise that, especially in recent months, there were a number of fundamental issues in which I had different opinions and positions with the chairman of the party,” Kvirikashvili said in the televised address, according to a transcript posted on his Facebook page.
" #Georgia PM Giorgi #Kvirikashvili finally resigns. I lost count for how many times he was about to leave, but always managed to stick to his position. Now he leaves only a day after the meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgia Dream ruling council," tweeted CrisisGroup analyst in the South Caucasus Olesya Vartanyan after the news broke.
Meanwhile, Thomas de Waal, senior associate, Carnegie Europe, commented on the microblogging site: "Sorry to see the departure of Georgian PM Gior gi #Kvirikashvili , a decent man who gave Georgia a respite from turmoil and a lesson in grown-up politics. Fear that his successor will be a step backwards."
In his resignation speech, Kvirikashvili went on to expand on the economic reforms made during his two and a half years in office, the increase in exports,
8 GEORGIA Country Report July 2018 www.intellinews.com