The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trilateral cooperation across political, economic, security, energy and connectivity sectors during their tenth trilateral meeting held in Istanbul on Monday.

The meeting was hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and attended by Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, The Caspian Post reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

In the Istanbul Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the meeting, the ministers highlighted the excellent relations among the three countries, built on longstanding friendship, good neighborliness, mutual respect and trust. They expressed their determination to further advance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including politics, trade, investment, peace and security, science and technology, and culture.

The ministers acknowledged the significant role their countries have played in promoting sustainable peace and stability in the region, emphasizing that this approach remains essential for development and prosperity both regionally and beyond. They also noted the growing threats facing their countries, including terrorism in all its forms, transnational organized crime, cyberattacks and hybrid warfare.

Recognizing the importance of stronger trade and investment relations, the ministers stressed the need to build a more robust regional economic profile and highlighted regional connectivity as a key driver of cooperation, economic growth and development.

The declaration reaffirmed the three countries’ strong and unequivocal support for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders. The ministers emphasized the value of trilateral cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges and underlined the importance of peace, security and stability for realizing the region’s full cooperation potential.

The ministers also reiterated the importance of restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.

The declaration highlighted the need to enhance cooperation in transport and energy, including green energy and low-carbon technologies. The ministers recognized the strategic contribution of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor to regional and European energy security.

They stressed the importance of expanding people-to-people contacts, educational, social and cultural exchanges, tourism and information and communication technologies. The ministers also emphasized improving air, rail and road links to strengthen regional connectivity.

The ministers noted significant progress in boosting the transit potential of their countries, including through the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor and the railway-based multimodal transportation corridor passing through Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia. They also welcomed ongoing efforts to integrate further into the international transit system.

Particular attention was given to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway, which was described as playing a key role within the Middle Corridor. The ministers welcomed the completion of modernization works under the BTK Railway Project, marked by an event held on June 2 at the Akhalkalaki International Railway Station in Georgia.

The three sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional connectivity through the cooperation mechanism involving the foreign and transport ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia.

In the energy sector, the ministers underlined their strategic partnership and expressed full support for its continuation and expansion, including through new interconnections for green energy transmission and trade. They also voiced support for cooperation aimed at achieving sustainable growth and the efficient use of renewable energy resources.

The declaration highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation on environmental protection and climate change. In this context, the ministers welcomed Türkiye’s presidency of the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

They also commended Azerbaijan for successfully hosting the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), noting its contribution to advancing international cooperation, dialogue and sustainable development.

The ministers renewed their commitment to combating terrorism, transnational organized crime and related threats in line with relevant international and regional instruments. Areas identified for enhanced cooperation included efforts against illicit trafficking in weapons, drugs and their precursors, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, money laundering, crimes against cultural and historical heritage, and cybercrime.

The declaration further emphasized continued cooperation in economic sectors of common interest through practical and results-oriented projects. The ministers expressed readiness to encourage investments and maintain direct contacts among business communities, chambers of commerce and industry, and business associations in the three countries. They also pledged to explore new export-import opportunities and additional ways of promoting economic cooperation.

In this regard, the ministers welcomed the seventh Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia Business Forum, held on February 26, 2026, in Tsinandali, Georgia.

The three sides also highlighted the success of trilateral cooperation mechanisms established among their countries, including inter-parliamentary cooperation. They expressed appreciation for active collaboration in international organizations, including support for each other’s candidacies whenever possible.

The ministers thanked Hakan Fidan for hosting and successfully organizing the meeting. They underscored the importance of maintaining regular trilateral consultations and agreed to hold the Eleventh Trilateral Meeting in Georgia on mutually agreed dates in 2027.

The Istanbul Declaration was signed in English on June 8, 2026, in Istanbul.