Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, Meets with President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, March 18, 2024
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in Azerbaijan.
According to the press service of the Prime Minister, during the face-to-face meeting at Zagulba Palace, the leaders emphasized the high level of strategic partnership between the two countries. They noted close cooperation in various areas, particularly in trade and economics.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
The importance of peace and stability in the region was emphasized, with the head of the government affirming Georgia's commitment to contributing to this process in the future.
During the face-to-face meeting, the leaders discussed joint large-scale strategic projects and the prospect of further deepening cooperation across various fields, including transport and energy.
"We have several important joint projects, strategic endeavors that economically tie our two countries together. These include large-scale, mega projects that have already been implemented, with significant plans for future development in this direction. Throughout our conversation today, we discussed various projects that can be implemented through collaborative efforts. There is a significant potential for developing cooperation in all areas.
We have exceptional, high-level trade and economic relations. Azerbaijan ranks among the top five trade partners of Georgia in terms of volume. Therefore, it is crucial to further develop our partnership in this regard," Kobakhidze stated.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev stated that additional steps would be taken for cooperation in the field of transportation.
"New infrastructure initiatives in the field of transportation will be essential for connecting many countries, particularly through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and its extension. This is one of our most significant achievements. We have increased its capacity from 1 to 5 billion tons. This project will be completed in two months. As I mentioned, the operation of this railway will be attractive and interesting for many countries. Starting this month, we will have meetings with the Southern Natural Gas Advisory Council, and high-level delegations from Georgia will be involved in this process. All participants see that Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are the initiators of these projects, which play a very important role in the supply of natural gas to Azerbaijan through Georgia," said Aliyev.
