The Georgian parliament confirmed former Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili as the country's new prime minister on December 29.
Kvirikashvili was nominated to be prime minister by the ruling Georgian Dream coalition after Irakli Garibashvili's surprise resignation from the post last week.
Parliament also approved a new government, by 86 votes to 28, parliament speaker David Usupashvili said.
Kvirikashvili and other designated ministers appeared before legislators on December 28 to answer questions on a range of issues from talks in Geneva with Moscow on security in the Caucasus to negotiations with Gazprom over gas supplies and relations overall with Russia.
Kvirikashvili, 48, who was also first deputy prime minister before his nomination, has said Georgia will continue its Euro-Atlantic integration.
Kvirikashvili also said Georgia will continue to be "pragmatic" towards Russia so long as it recognizes "Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He has a Master's degree in finance from the University of Illinois in the United States.
