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| Senior Georgian ministers sacked | Senior Georgian ministers sacked |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Georgia's defence and foreign affairs ministers have been dismissed in another major shake-up since the conflict with Russia. | Georgia's defence and foreign affairs ministers have been dismissed in another major shake-up since the conflict with Russia. |
| The changes were announced by PM Grigol Mgaloblishvili, who was himself appointed by President Mikhail Saakashvili in October. | The changes were announced by PM Grigol Mgaloblishvili, who was himself appointed by President Mikhail Saakashvili in October. |
| Mr Mgaloblishvili said the government needed an overhaul because of what he called the "new realities". | Mr Mgaloblishvili said the government needed an overhaul because of what he called the "new realities". |
| He did not mention the war with Russia which drew harsh criticism of Georgia. | He did not mention the war with Russia which drew harsh criticism of Georgia. |
| Some government posts were changed when Mr Mgaloblishvili became prime minister, but Defence Minister David Kezerashvili and Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili kept their portfolios. | |
| Mr Kezerashvili is to be replaced by his deputy, Batu Kutelia, while Culture Minister Grigol Vashadze will replace 31-year-old Eka Tkeshelashvili. | |
| "Changes need to be made in the sphere of defence," Mr Mgaloblishvili told a news conference shown live on television. "It is important to strengthen foreign policy and more experience is needed in this direction." | |
| The conflict in the region began on 7 August when Georgia tried to retake its breakaway region of South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes with Russian-backed rebels. | |
| Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a second breakaway region, days later. | |
| Russian forces remain in the two regions, and Moscow has backed their declarations of independence. |