By dismissing Irakly Okruashvili as Georgian defense minister, President Mikheil Saakashvili averted a military coup in Georgia, Russian Political Research Institute Director Sergei Markov said. \"This is super news. I believe this is the most important news from Georgia in 2006 - it is even more significant than the arrest of Russian officers. It means that Mikheil Saakashvili has averted a coup attempt,\" Markov told Interfax on Friday. It has become clear in the past months that \"Georgia has had not a Saakashvili regime but a Saakashvili-Okruashvili regime, in which the army was more loyal to the latter,\" he said. \"Okruashvili was dreaming to see in the New Year in South Ossetia and was in fact directly threatening Saakashvili if he did not issue an order on starting military actions. Therefore, this is a very strong blow to the hawks and a serious defeat of the champions of war,\" Markov said. Okruashvili was dismissed as defense minister and appointed economic development minister on Friday. Former Financial Police Director David Kezerashvili was appointed defense minister in Okruashvili\'s place. (Interfax)