Government reshuffle. Paata Trapaidze is to be employment minister, a new post. He was appointed by the new prime minister, Ivane Merabishvili, who himself was appointed Saturday by President Saakashvili. (IPN.)

TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia’s new prime minister Vano Merabishvili today presented his employment minister, which is a new post.

“I have initiative to set up specific Employment Ministry, which will take care to solve problems of employment. A database of unemployed will be created. We will establish new specific statuses, this will be status of unemployed and job seeker.”

Vano Merabishvili, who was Georgia’s Interior Minister through many turbulent years earning him a reputation as hard handed, announced the new position today during a visit to a vocational school in Tbilisi’s northern district Gldani.

The new minister for employment issues, Paata Trapaidze, has a background as director of Caucasus Road Project, a company started in 2005 which works with construction of roads, bridges, airport take off and landing strips, and tunnels. The company has carried out many large scale projects in Georgia, including the construction of a motorway which runs through the center of Tbilisi; the first concrete road in the capital.

In 2010, President Saakashvili awarded Trapaidze with the Order of Honor.

When presented in his new post today, Paata Trapaidze promised that his body will cooperate closely with each political party.

“I will do everything so that each Georgian citizen despite nationality, religious beliefs and political views, receive what they consider necessary. Each of us should find our own place in society,” he said, adding that he will cooperate with the ministers for education, agriculture, infrastructure and economy.

Vano Merabishvili said he will present a state program to parliament this evening, which will define the government’s steps for the next four years.

The former interior minister added that the new employment minister should first of all create a data base of unemployed.

Merabishvili promised to fight unemployment just like he fought criminals and corruption, which is regarded as one of the Saakashvili regime’s more successful reforms.