Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili visits Turkey
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Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has travelled to Turkey’s capital Ankara for a one-day visit today.
The head of the Georgian Government will participate in the first session of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Georgia, the Georgian Government Administration said.
Yesterday Kvirikashvili had a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim.
"Giorgi Kvirikashvili expressed condolences to the Turkish people for the death of the people who sacrificed their lives to defend democracy in Turkey”, the Administration’s statement read.
"He wished peace and stability to Turkey and the Turkish people.”
Kvirikashvili stressed a strong and democratic Turkey was essential to regional development and stability. He expressed support to the democratically elected government of Turkey and condemned the attempted military coup.
During the phone conversation the Turkish Prime Minister said the situation was now under control and back to normal, and all areas of cooperation between Georgia and Turkey would continue as before.
Yildirim confirmed the Turkish side was ready and eager to hold the first session of the Georgia-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council which was planned for July 19 in Ankara. Kvirikashvili will visit the Turkish capital specifically for the event.
"Both sides underlined the importance of this visit and expressed readiness to discuss all areas of strategic partnership between the two countries,” the Georgian Prime Minister’s Administration said.
All Georgian citizens stranded in Turkey following the unrest on Friday night have been safely transported back to Georgia.
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has publically expressed support for his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan following last night’s failed attempt of a military coup against the Turkish government.
The Government of Georgia has implemented measures to ensure Georgian citizens stranded in Istanbul's International Airport receive food and water before they can board a scheduled flight to Georgia later today.
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili has reacted to the attempted military coup in neighbouring Turkey by stressing it was "very important” for Georgia that the democratically elected government of Turkey was not under threat.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili is in Ankara for his first official visit to Turkey today. The Georgian leader held his first meeting with Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Ismail Kahraman.
Georgia and Turkey are jointly looking at ways to deepen energy cooperation and build a hydroelectric power plant on the river Mtkvari that originates in Turkey, runs eastward across Georgia and Azerbaijan, emptying into the Caspian Sea.