Russian MFA Comments on Azeri – Georgian – Turkish Declaration

Regional cooperation in the South Caucasus should promote the ?development of multilateral links among all, without exception, countries of the region,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on February 10.

The Russian Foreign Ministry?s statement is a response to the Tbilisi Declaration on Common Vision for Regional Cooperation signed by the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tbilisi on February 7.

The Declaration notes that by implementing major regional projects involving oil and gas pipelines and a railway network, the three states are establishing ?long-term and predictable? relations.

Armenia has protested against the construction of the railway link, which will connect Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia, saying that the project will only serve to further isolate the landlocked country.

Russia is always ready for any forms of mutually beneficial and transparent cooperation aimed at promoting stability and social-economic prosperity in the Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.   

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow will ?closely watch the developments in the frames of this initiative by our regional partners.?

It also noted importance of the fact that the declaration contains a call for neighboring countries to consider joining the initiative.

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