Erdoğan: Türkiye and Georgia to Work 'Shoulder to Shoulder' for Regional Cooperation and Peace

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Tuesday during a joint news conference with his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Kavelashvili, that Türkiye and Georgia will continue to collaborate closely for regional cooperation, peace, and development.

Erdoğan stressed the strategic importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, calling it “the backbone of the Middle Corridor,” and noted its significance as it begins operating at full capacity, The Caspian Post reports citing Turkish media.

The Turkish president also stated that the trade volume has surpassed $3 billion in recent years, adding: “We are steadily moving toward our new goal of $5 billion.”

He said they are “determined to promote mutual investments,” noting that “more than 2,000 of our companies are operating in the country thanks to the favorable environment provided by Georgia.”

He emphasized that “cooperation in the defense industry and military fields” was also a key item on their agenda, adding that Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia are fostering regional peace and cooperation through trilateral mechanisms in foreign policy and security.

The president noted that Türkiye wants to host the next Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting soon and, once the parliaments are back in session, plans to convene a Trilateral Speakers of Parliament Meeting.