Georgian, Turkish Defence Ministers discuss bilateral cooperation

Bilateral cooperation in defence was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani, who is participating in the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia trilateral defence ministerial, and his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler.

Chikovani thanked Güler and the Turkish side for their unwavering support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He emphasised Turkey’s technical and financial assistance over the decades in the development of Georgia’s defence forces, as well as Turkey’s efforts in implementing initiatives envisaged by the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP).

One of the main topics of the meeting was the current global security environment, the security of the Black Sea region, and related challenges.

Chikovani noted that strategic cooperation between Georgia and Turkey was especially important on this backdrop.

The meeting also highlighted positive dynamics of cooperation, reflected in high-level visits, including the recent official visit of the Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili to Turkey.

The trilateral defence ministerial is held on a rotation basis among the three countries.

In 2024, the ministerial was held in Georgia. This year, the trilateral meeting of the heads of defence agencies of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia is hosted by Ankara.