Ex-Defense Minister Takes Office as Chief of Intelligence Service

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia appointed former Defense Minister Levan Izoria as the new Chief of Intelligence Service on September 11, replacing Davit Sujashvili, who served at the position since December 2013.

Hosted by Sujashvili, Izoria met with his new staff today, the Intelligence Service reported.

Levan Izoria became Defense Minister in August 2016. Earlier he served as Deputy Head of the State Security Service. 

Meanwhile, Davit Sujashvili and Rati Bregadze were appointed as deputies of new Defense Minister Irakli Garibashvili. 

Cabinet reshuffle followed Mamuka Bakhtadze’s resignation as Prime Minister. Then PM-designate Giorgi Gakharia announced that Garibashvili would replace Izoria, while the latter would become the Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC). For Levan Izoria to become the Secretary of the National Security Council he should have assumed one of the permanent member positions. 

NSC is an eight-member advisory body chaired by the Prime Minister. The rest of the permanent members include: defense, interior, foreign and finance ministers, heads of state security and intelligence services, and chief of the armed forces.

Read also:

Ruling Party Confirms PM Gakharia’s Cabinet, as Opposition Boycotts

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)