Georgian FM: meeting with Turkish counterpart reaffirms strength of strategic partnership

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, who is on her first official visit to Turkey, on Wednesday held a meeting with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

During the discussion, both Ministers reaffirmed the close friendship and strategic partnership between the two nations, emphasising their commitment to achieving specific results that align with their respective national interests.

The Ministers underscored the importance of fully utilising the high-level Strategic Partnership Council format and stressed the necessity of high-level exchanges to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

Economic ties were a major focus, with both sides highlighting that Turkey remained Georgia’s number one trading partner.

Botchorishvili reaffirmed Georgia’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the South Caucasus region and expressed gratitude for Turkey’s consistent support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The meeting also explored opportunities for deepening regional transport and energy cooperation, emphasising the strategic importance of the Black Sea region.

The Ministers discussed critical infrastructure projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

Special attention was given to the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral strategic partnership platform, with Turkey set to host the next Foreign Ministers' meeting under this framework.

The significance of the Middle Corridor initiative was also highlighted.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Botchorishvili invited her Turkish counterpart to visit Georgia at a time of his convenience.