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The News in Brief

Thursday, February 16
Foreign Minister Concludes Azerbaijan Visit

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has concluded his two-day official visit to Baku, where he met the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.

At the meeting on February 13, Janelidze and Aliyev underlined that “the good-neighborly and strategic relations” between Georgia and Azerbaijan creates “solid basis” for the further development of bilateral and regional cooperation, the Georgian MFA reported.

According to the Georgian MFA, “special note was taken” of the importance of transport and energy projects between the countries. The sides agreed to continue close cooperation for the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway projects, the statement also said.

Janelidze and Aliyev spoke on the two country’s cooperation within the European Union’s Eastern Partnership Initiative, according to the Georgian MFA. “Mikheil Janelidze welcomed the launch of the EU-Azerbaijan strategic document,” it said.

"President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijani-Georgian relations are developing very successfully and dynamically,” the Azerbaijani President’s administration reported in its press release of the meeting.

“The head of state noted the importance of expanding cooperation between the two countries in all areas, including political, economic, transportation, energy and humanitarian ones,” the statement said.

President Aliyev stressed the importance of “increasing efforts” to strengthen “the good results” of bilateral cooperation and “bring the two countries closer to each other,” according to his office.

On February 13, Janelidze held a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, where the sides spoke about “the traditionally successful cooperation” between Georgia and Azerbaijan “based on centuries-old friendship and good-neighborly relations,” according to the Georgian MFA.

The Georgian MFA reported that the sides talked on a range of issues, including bilateral cooperation in commercial, economic and energy sectors.

“Special attention was paid to the importance of using the full transport potential of the south-west transport route and of developing transit possibilities of the Europe-Asia transport corridor,” the statement added.

According to the Azerbaijani MFA, Minister Mammadyarov said that “the mutually beneficial” cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia, “as friendly and neighborly countries, sets an example for the entire region.”

Foreign Ministers spoke on the bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, tourism, energy and transport sectors and stressed the importance of expanding the ties “of regional importance.” Here as well, the sides noted “the indispensability” of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and Southern Gas Corridor projects.

“The sides reiterated mutual support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan and Georgia,” the statement also said.

Within the visit, the Georgian Foreign Minister also held meetings with Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and Milli Mejlis Speaker Oktay Asadov. (civil.ge)



Defense Minister taking part in NATO Ministerial

A Defense Ministry delegation, led by Minister Levan Izoria, is taking part in the NATO Ministerial on 15-16 February in Brussels.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting will be held on the second day of the event. The meeting will focus on the Wales and Warsaw Summit decisions, in particular, the implementation of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package (SNGP) and new initiatives, reforms in the defense area and the current security environment in the Black Sea region.

Within the framework of the Ministerial, the Minister of Defense will hold bilateral meetings with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and NATO member countries' defense ministers. (IPN)



Dollar price equals 2.6467 Gel

The dollar official price has become 2.6467 Gel. According to the new exchange rate set by the National Bank of Georgia, starting with today, 1 USD will cost 2.6467 GEL, while the previous rate was 2.6288 Gel.

As for the euro, its new exchange rate is 2.8100 GEL, while the previous rate was 2.7957 Gel.

The Euro exchange rate will also take effect from February 15. (ipn)