Mikheil Kavelashvili Visits Azerbaijan
On April 15, Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili visited Azerbaijan. As part of the visit, Kavelashvili met with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov, President Ilham Aliyev, and the Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani National Assembly), Sahiba Gafarova.
“I am honored to commence my first official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, a valued friend and strategic partner of Georgia… I look forward to productive meetings focused on strengthening our robust bilateral relations,” wrote Kavelashvili on X.
This is Kavelashvili’s first official visit abroad since he was elected by the college of GD MPs and local councilors on December 14, following the disputed 2024 parliamentary elections. His presidency has not been recognized by a number of Western countries and international partners, who have expressed serious concerns about widespread electoral fraud and irregularities.
Meeting with PM Ali Asadov
According to the official press release of the Georgian side, during the meeting with the Azerbaijan PM Ali Asadov, the sides discussed the main directions of the strategic partnership between the two countries, “highlighting the successful cooperation in various fields”, including regional and international multilateral formats.
“Today, during my visit to Baku, I held a productive meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ali Asadov. We discussed key directions of our countries’ strategic partnership and the successful cooperation across various areas, including multilateral formats,” wrote Kavelashvili on X following the meeting. “We underscored the importance of further strengthening trade and economic ties and advancing joint regional projects. I also highlighted the critical role of peace and stability in the region and expressed my gratitude to Azerbaijan for its unwavering support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Meeting with President Ilham Aliyev
On April 16, Mikheil Kavelashvili met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“In our one-on-one meeting, we highlighted the exemplary strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan, underpinned by robust cooperation across various sectors, particularly in trade and economic spheres. I expressed my gratitude to President Aliyev for Azerbaijan’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We underscored the critical importance of peace and stability in the region, and I reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to actively contributing to this process,” Kavelashvili tweeted.
The meeting was followed by Kavelashvili and Aliyev’s statements to the press.
President Aliyev hailed the fact that the GD-elected president Mikheil Kavelashvili has made his first official visit to Azerbaijan, highlighting the strong relations between the two countries. He stressed the growing economic and trade relations and underlined the importance of the Middle Corridor project.
Kavelashvili, reading from a prepared script, thanked President Aliyev for the warm welcome and said his first official visit to Azerbaijan underscored the “strategic relations and special good neighborliness” between the two countries.
“The preservation of national identity, respect for traditions, cultures, and our history are key principles that our people hold dear,” Kavelashvili said. “Our friendship is based on mutual respect and consideration of each other’s national interests.”
Reading about the challenges of the “globalist era,” Kavelashvili said, “The Georgian and Azerbaijani peoples stand together – and will continue to stand together – in this struggle to defend the values that are so vital to our nations.”
He emphasized the need for close cooperation to address regional and global challenges, adding that “lasting peace and stability” are key to building “a competitive, reliable, and prosperous South Caucasus.”
Kavelashvili also thanked Aliyev for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity, noting that Georgia has always supported Azerbaijan’s sovereignty as well. He welcomed the peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“I am sure that our common future includes a successful, economically strong and prosperous South Caucasus, where our peoples can peacefully coexist with their traditions, not with imposed pseudo-liberal values,” he said. “Unfortunately, in recent times, our countries have repeatedly been subjected to double standards and interference in our internal affairs by external forces. Despite numerous attempts, we stand firm against these threats and ensure security and stability in the region. No third country or organization can know better than us what is best for our people.”
Meeting with Speaker Sahiba Gafarova
On April 16, Kavelashvili held another meeting with the Speaker of the Milli Majlis, Sahiba Gafarova. The meeting was attended by the GD MPs in the delegation – Givi Mikanadze, Zaur Dargali, and Savalan Mirzoev, as well as GD deputy foreign minister Lasha Darsalia.
“We discussed the historically strong friendship between our two countries and the key directions of the Georgia-Azerbaijan strategic partnership. During the meeting, we emphasized the fruitful cooperation between the parliaments of our two countries and discussed prospects for further deepening this partnership,” Kavelashvili wrote on X after the meeting.
The next foreign visit of Mikheil Kavelashvili is planned for April 28-29 in Armenia. The visit has already been approved by the GD PM Irakli Kobakhidze.
Also Read:
- 19/03/2025 – Kavelashvili Replaces Zurabishvili’s Appointee to the High Council of Justice
- 04/02/2025 – GD Parliament Opens Spring Session Amid Protests, Kavelashvili Addresses MPs
- 30/12/2024 – GD Elected President Kavelashvili Signs Into Law Repressive Legislation
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)