Baku “appreciates” Tbilisi’s mediation for peace in South Caucasus - Georgian Vice Parliament Speaker

Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Parliament Speaker of Georgia, on Tuesday said the Azerbaijani Government "appreciated" the initiative of the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to mediate for its peace talks with Armenia for resolving their long-standing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

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Highlighting a "positive engagement" with Azerbaijani top officials in Baku during the visit of a Georgian parliamentary delegation led by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Talakvadze stressed the “critical role of friendship and cooperation” between the two states in “shaping the future” of the region.

The two governments are committed to strengthening our strategic partnership for the benefit of our people. Georgia supports long-term peace in the region and is ready to contribute to negotiations and agreements in the future", he said.

The lawmaker added the region “needs this agreement [for peace between Baku and Yerevan], and Georgia is ready to play its part, with the Prime Minister and his office actively facilitating the talks".

He also said “key areas” including economic and infrastructural projects, trade relations, and tourism were “significantly dependent” on strong bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia, and extended his gratitude to Baku for supporting Georgia’s European integration.

He further noted the European integration of Georgia “serves the interests of the entire region, including Azerbaijan, and it will undoubtedly strengthen our positions in the international political arena".