Georgian ex-minister for economy dies

Kakha Bendukidze, a Georgian ex-minister for economy and a businessman, has died at a London hotel at the age of 58. He underwent surgery in Switzerland two weeks ago, Interfax reports.

Bendukidze had been doing business in Russia for 20 years since the 1980s. He was the director general of the United Engineering Factories at that time.

In 2004, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed him as the minister for economy. In 2004-2008, he was the state minister for coordination of reforms. In 2008-2009, he headed the chancellery of the Georgian government.

In 2007, the businessman opened the Tbilisi Free University and the Agrarian University of Georgia.

In May 2014, Bendukidze accepted Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s offer to become a member of the Economic and Advisory Council of the Ukrainian government. President Petro Poroshenko expressed condolences to Bendukidze’s friends and relatives.