Georgia and Azerbaijan: More than just partners

Azerbaijan’s relations with Georgia are more than a strategic partnership, says a top Azerbaijani official.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov took to Twitter this afternoon to stress the good neigbourly relationship between Georgia and Azerbaijan after meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister Mikheil janelidze in Baku earlier today.

FM Mammadyarov: our relations with #Georgia are more than strategic partnership @JanelidzeMkh@MFAgovge

— MFA Azerbaijan (@AzerbaijanMFA) March 7, 2016

"We had a broad discussion on further deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields,” the Azerbaijani official wrote after he hosted his Georgian counterpart on his first official visit to Azerbaijan.

Mammadyarov added the leaders discussed prospects to develop and intensify the strategic partnership, as well as cooperation in energy and transportation sectors.

"Azerbaijan highly appreciates its cooperation with Georgia within the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, the implementation of which will expand our cooperation in the transportation sector,” he said.

Janelidze also agreed the two countries were bound by close cooperation in the energy sector, recalling that this year marked the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Baku-Supsa project.

The Baku–Supsa pipeline is an 833km-long oil pipeline which runs from the Sangachal Terminal near Baku, Azerbaijan to the Supsa terminal in Georgia. The total cost to construct the pipeline and terminal was $556 million USD.

Mentioning the South Gas Corridor and other large-scaled joint projects, Janelidze and Mammadyarov noted the two country’s cooperation was of "historical importance” in terms of the development of the region and served the interests of the whole Europe.

"We will also continue to cooperate in the international arena,” Janelidze said.

"Both countries support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other and I hope that this position will remain unchanged,” he added.

#Azerbaijan & #Georgia support territorial integrity and sovereignty of one another w/in int.ly recognized borders @JanelidzeMkh@MFAgovge

— MFA Azerbaijan (@AzerbaijanMFA) March 7, 2016

While in Baku the Georgian Minister also met and discussed bilateral issues with President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov.

Talking about the importance of serving high-level meetings, Janelidze said Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili would pay a visit to Azerbaijan soon, Turkish media reported.