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Georgian Dream PM Kobakhidze Visits Azerbaijan

On January 17, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze arrived on a visit to Azerbaijan, accompanied by a delegation. He met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov. The Georgian delegation took part in the 10th session of the Georgia-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation.

The Georgian delegation included Levan Davitashvili, GD Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; Maka Botchorishvili, GD Minister of Foreign Affairs; Davit Songhulashvili, GD Minister of Environment and Agriculture; Tinatin Rukhadze, GD Minister of Culture; and Levan Zhorzholiani, GD head of Georgia’s government administration.

Meeting with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

Kobakhidze’s one-on-one meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was followed by a joint press conference at which Kobakhidze underlined the importance of Georgian-Azerbaijani cooperation in ensuring regional security and stability. He also thanked Azerbaijan for its unwavering support for Georgia’s territorial integrity. Kobakhidze also underlined the importance of the “strategic partnership” with Azerbaijan and hoped that relations would continue in a similar vein.

“Bilateral trade and economic relations are very important, and we are pleased that in recent years Azerbaijan has been among the top five of our trade partners,” said Kobakhidze.

The President of Azerbaijan expressed confidence that the success of the Georgian Dream party at the elections would bring stability to the South Caucasus region. He stressed the importance of connectivity and the Middle Corridor project. Aliyev underlined his belief in the project’s success, stressing the vital role of Azerbaijan and Georgia as a bridge between Europe and Asia. He added: “We are successfully implementing this, and I know that transport infrastructure is being developed in Georgia as well as in Azerbaijan.

Aliyev also praised the “exemplary political relations” between the two neighbors, stressing that their cooperation serves as a model for how two neighbors should live together. He said: “We have excellent results in economic relations, Azerbaijan has invested 3.6 billion dollars in Georgia,” adding that this shows the successful economic policy of GD government, including in the field of attracting foreign investments.” He further praised the GD government saying its policy “has a very positive impact on the investment environment in your country, attracting investors and becoming a source of inspiration for capital investments in your country, including for Azerbaijani investors.”

Meeting with Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov

According to the GD government administration’s press release “during the face-to-face meeting… Ali Asadov congratulated Irakli Kobakhidze on the victory of the ruling team in the October 26 parliamentary elections and his re-election to the post of Prime Minister, noting that the election results once again demonstrated the will of the Georgian people.”

The press release says that the parties discussed the main directions envisaged by the Georgia-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership and the issues to be discussed within the framework of the session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation of the two countries.

The sides emphasized “the importance of peace and stability in the region” with Kobakhidze confirming “Georgia’s readiness to promote trilateral dialogue and the development of regional cooperation.”

10th Session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation

During the meeting of the Commission, Irakli Kobakhidze expressed the commitment of Georgia to concrete steps to promote regional cooperation. According to the official press release, he advocated for regional trilateral cooperation of all South Caucasus countries, including Armenia he said: “Georgia offers the parties a trilateral cooperation initiative, which envisages the involvement of all three countries of the South Caucasus in various fields. In the context of regional cooperation, it is important to ensure the successful functioning of energy and transport routes, resolve existing conflicts, and promote security in the region.”

Kobakhidze stressed that Azerbaijan has been among Georgia’s top five trading partners in recent years and called the neighboring country “one of the most important strategic partners of Georgia.”

“In this regard, Azerbaijan is one of the most important strategic partners of Georgia. We are jointly implementing such important regional projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Southern Gas Corridor projects, the Middle Corridor project, as well as the Black Sea submarine cable project. It is necessary to direct efforts towards ensuring and promoting energy security and energy independence.”

On social media platform X, the GD Prime Minister shared that during the meeting, both sides “emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation in trade and economic sectors as well as the energy field. Our strategic partnership plays a crucial role in regional stability and ensuring secure connectivity for our partners.”

The Azerbaijani Prime Minister specifically underscored the significance of the Southern Corridor, stating, “Our countries play an important role in the implementation of this strategic project. Today, together, we are building a green energy bridge in Europe. The Black Sea submarine energy cable project, involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, plays a vital role in Europe’s energy security.”

The two sides signed the Protocol of the 10th meeting of the Georgia-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation. In addition, a Protocol of Intent was signed between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan; a Memorandum of Understanding On cooperation in the field of maritime transport between the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan; and a Memorandum of Understanding On cooperation in consular issues between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

GD FM Botchorishvili Meeting with Jeyhun Bayramov

As part of the visit, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on 16 January. According to the MFA press release, Botchorishvili hailed the “exemplary” strategic partnership between the two nations and underlined their shared commitment to peace and stability in the region.

During the joint press conference following the meeting, Botchorishvili said: “We have recently witnessed numerous attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the country from various sides, but we must also say that our society, our states are resilient enough to cope with such steps.”

She noted that the key topic in the discussions was the trilateral relationship between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, with a particular focus on the Middle Corridor — a vital route for regional energy and transport projects. Botchorishvili highlighted that these joint initiatives are “significantly elevating” the strategic role of the Caucasus in global trade and energy markets.

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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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