Georgian-Turkish-Azerbaijani Defense Ministerial Concludes

Georgian authorities hosted the 8th Tripartite Georgian-Turkish-Azerbaijani Defense Ministerial on October 5 in Tsinandali village in eastern Kakheti region, where parties discussed regional security, the directions of defense cooperation and the plans for the future cooperation. 

At the joint press conference, where three ministers signed tripartite cooperation document, Georgian Defense chief Juansher Burchuladze said that tripartite strategic partnership, based on trust and mutual respect has “a great importance for the regional security, the well-being of our people, and the development of our defense forces.”

Stressing that peaceful resolution of conflicts has no alternative, the Georgian Minister said the goal is to maintain the regional stability and security “through joint efforts.”

On his part, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said “the meeting held in Georgia, the important country of the Caucasus, will provide significant benefits for our countries and our armed forces,” as quoted by the Turkish Ministry’s press service. 

Noting that the area spanning the three countries carries a vital importance for the production and transit of energy resources, including oil and natural gas, to other parts of the world, the Turkish Minister said “the peace and stability of this region is important not only for us but also for all other the countries of the region.”

Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, on his part, called the Ministerial “a prime example of a strategic dialogue between the three countries.” The Azerbaijani Minsiter stressed that “conducting the joint exercises will pave the way for a new stage within the framework of trilateral activities,” and “contribute to regional security.”

A day before the Ministerial, more than 200 Georgian, Turkish, Azerbaijani participants joined the multinational command-staff exercise ETERNITY 2021 at the Georgian Defense Forces Combat Training Center (CTC). According to the Georgian Ministry, the training aimed at enhancing the knowledge of participants on ensuring the security of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and increasing interoperability between military units of three countries. 

Georgian Minister Holds Separate Meetings with Azerbaijani, Turkish Counterparts

At the margins of the Ministerial, Georgian Defense chief Juansher Burchuladze held separate meetings with his Turkish and Azerbaijani counterparts.

The Georgian Defense Ministry reported that at the meeting with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Hasanov, the parties discussed the issues of peace and stability in the region, as well as the participation of the Azerbaijani military in the multinational joint military exercises in Georgia. 

According to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, during the meeting, the parties stressed the importance of mutual support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Following the meeting, parties signed a bilateral cooperation plan between Georgian and Azerbaijani Defense Ministries. 

At the meeting between Georgian and Turkish Defense Ministers, the parties discussed regional security, as stated by the Georgian Defense Ministry’s press service. The Turkish Defense Ministry, on its part, reported that during the meeting parties stressed the need for increasing cooperation in the fields of military training and defense industry.

The ninth Tripartite Defense Ministerial will be held in Turkey in 2022.

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