The Bedel Pass is situated in a remote southeastern corner of Kyrgyzstan, sited roughly equidistantly from the Kyrgyz city of Karakol and Xinjiang’s Aksu Prefecture.
Pro-government media is reporting that Garibashvili will be replaced by Irakli Kobakhidze, who is also known as fiercely loyal to the ruling party's billionaire founder.
The news opens a new chapter in the ruling regime’s campaign to wrest all the levers of control in the country from shadowy, behind-the-scenes operators.