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Georgian president appoints new economics minister

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Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed his top aide, Georgy Arveladze, to the post of economics minister Monday.
TBILISI, November 20 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed his top aide, Georgy Arveladze, to the post of economics minister Monday.

Chief of Presidential Staff Arveladze will replace Irakly Okruashvili, who tendered his resignation Friday after just seven days in charge of the Economics Ministry.

Arveladze, 28, an ally of Western-leaning President Mikheil Saakashvili in the 2003 "rose revolution", is also the Secretary General of Georgia's ruling party, National Movement-Democrats, and an international law expert.

Okruashvili, 33, known for his strong-worded remarks about Russia, was appointed economics minister on November 10 in a reshuffle seen as a move to defuse an acute diplomatic crisis with Moscow.

As a Defense Ministry "hawk", Okruashvili often made harsh statements causing outrage in Moscow. He promised to celebrate New Year in the breakaway pro-Russian republic of South Ossetia, and said Russia was doomed to defeat in any potential warfare with Georgia.

Many saw the appointment as economics minister of Okruashvili - who wielded considerable power in domestic and foreign affairs - as a demotion. In the past, Okruashvili held several other top posts.

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