Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has announced another cabinet reshuffle, with Interior Minister Gela Geladze moving to head the State Security Service (SSG), whose former chief, Mamuka Mdinaradze, will become Deputy Prime Minister and move to a newly created ministerial position for the Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies.
The changes were announced by Kobakhidze on Tuesday at a briefing, where he was joined by Mdinaradze and Geladze, as well as the Chair of the Autonomous Government of Adjara, Sulkhhan Tamazashvili. The latter will replace Geladze as Interior Minister.
Mdinaradze, who had been leading the State Security Service (SSG) since September 2025, will move to the position of State Minister for the Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies. The creation of this post was announced during the briefing, alongside other changes.
In addition, Mdinaradze will serve as Deputy Prime Minister. The same role will also be taken on by Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, increasing the number of Deputy Prime Ministers to three, with the third being acting Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani.
Commenting on the changes, Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Kakha Kaladze, said that the new ministerial post was created to ‘improve coordination’ between the Interior Ministry and the SSG.
‘The reshuffle is not being carried out because of any problems or issues related to specific officials’, he added.
Geladze has been serving as Interior Minister since May 2025. Prior to that, he was Deputy Minister of Education from 2023 to 2024.
Tamazashvili, his successor, has led the Government of Adjara since April 2025. He succeeded long-time chair Tornike Rizhvadze, who resigned from the post and was hospitalised with a serious gunshot wound three months later. Authorities have claimed that Rizhvadze attempted to take his own life.
Before his appointment in Adjara Tamazashvili served as Director of the Tbilisi Police Department between 2021 and 2025. Prior to that, he headed the police forces of the Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, and Kvemo Svaneti regions.
While announcing the reshuffles, Kobakhidze thanked all three officials for their service.
‘As you know, after being appointed head of the SSG, Mr Mamuka Mdinaradze had to step away from political activity’, Irakli Kobakhidze added, referring to Mdinaradze’s previous role as parliamentary majority leader and one of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s most prominent figures.
‘From his new position, he will return to political activity, which will strengthen our political team’, he added.
Kobakhidze claimed that during his tenure as SSG chief, Mdinaradze was ‘particularly successful in fighting corruption’.
https://oc-media.org/georgia-hides-asset-declarations-of-security-service-chief-mdinaradze/
Several former high-ranking officials of the ruling Georgian Dream party have been arrested on corruption charges following Mdinaradze’s appointment to the security agency.
Those included former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and former SSG head Grigol Liluashvili. Gharibashvili was sentenced to five years in July. The authorities have framed the arrests as part of an anti-corruption campaign, while critics argue they are driven by internal power struggles within the ruling party.
Thanking the other two officials, Kobakhidze highlighted what he described as achievements in combating organised and drug-related crimes. Regarding Tamazashvili, Kobakhidze pointed to the ‘improvement of governance in many areas’ in Adjara, as well as laying the groundwork for ‘many new projects’.
‘He is very well known within the Interior Ministry system’, Kobakhidze said in reference to Tamazashvili, emphasising his background in the ministry.
According to Kobakhidze, the government will submit the proposed changes to parliament for necessary approvals, both for the appointment of a new SSG head, and for the creation of the new ministerial post.
