Georgian PM, Turkish President pledge to deepen ties
Irakli Garibahsvili has invited Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Georgia. Photo: Georgian PM;s press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Graibashvili met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara earlier today.
Following their meeting the Georgian and Turkish leaders held a press conference pledging to deepen the ties between their countries.
Gürcistan Başbakanı Irakli Garibashvili ile Ortak Basın Toplantısı https://t.co/ngnoB7mg3E
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) June 1, 2021
Noting that Georgia is the key for ensuring regional cooperation, President Erdoğan said Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trade partner for over a decade.
Even though there is a slight decline in our trade volume in 2020, we have now set our target to reach USD 3 billion”, Erdoğan said.
He also added that Turkish companies have invested over USD 200 million in Georgia especially in the field of energy and that 'the great projects’ carried out with neighbouring Georgia have changed the region.
The development of connection mechanisms and combined transport corridors is very important for regional development”, he said.
Gürcistan Başbakanı Irakli Garibashvili’yi Resmî Karşılama Töreni https://t.co/ojnQS2LP0N
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) June 1, 2021
On his part PM Garibashvili underscored that Turkey is Georgia’s friend and a strategic partner, while their joint projects, including Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, have regional importance.
It has been destined that our three states - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey - are interdependent, have very close cooperation, partnership and, most importantly, friendship”, Irakli Garibashvili said.
Therefore, he added, that there is ‘a very solid basis between us to implement even more projects jointly in both bilateral and trilateral formats’.
Great meeting @RTErdogan in the framework of my visit to #Turkey & held a very productive discussion about ????????-???????? strategic partnership. We are determined to further strengthen, economic & regional co-op to ensure peace & stability in the region. pic.twitter.com/rpp2RpUMDD
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) June 1, 2021
Garibashvili thanked President Erdoğan for supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and invited him to Georgia.