TBILISI. Nov 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Georgia will announce establishment of a national gendarmerie soon, a source in the Georgian Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"The draft resolution of the country's president authorizing establishment of the national gendarmerie on the basis of the Interior Ministry Force, which was reassigned to the Defense Ministry on November 1, is already being developed," the source said.
"The only candidate for the position of gendarmerie chief is Major General Giorgi Tavtukhashvili, former commander of the Interior Ministry Force," he stressed.
According to him, the gendarmerie will be again reporting to the Interior Ministry. Guarding of facilities and operations during emergency situations and disasters will be its main missions. In case martial law is imposed in the country, the gendarmerie is automatically reassigned to the Defense Ministry.
The source stressed that the gendarmerie will be reporting to the Interior Ministry because, among other reasons, Tavtukhashvili failed to establish good relations with Defense Ministry leaders.
"When the Interior Ministry Force was transferred to the Armed Forces, Tavtukhashvili was offered the position of Land Forces commander, but he and the General Staff had different opinions on the structure and objectives of the forces," the source said.