Georgian President says Armenia-Azerbaijan peace efforts “crucial” for regional stability

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Tuesday welcomed the steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward establishing lasting peace, noting that these efforts should contribute to advancing peace and stability in the region.

In his remarks at a joint briefing with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kavelashvili emphasised Georgia’s commitment to the principle of peaceful coexistence in the South Caucasus and reiterated the country’s readiness to contribute to the promotion of peace and constructive cooperation in the region.

“At the meeting, we discussed the current situation in the South Caucasus and our joint efforts to address the challenges. We have stated many times, and I wish to underline once again, that Georgia supports the formula of peaceful coexistence in the South Caucasus and always stands ready to contribute to fostering peace and constructive cooperation in the region”, the Georgian President said.

“We welcome the steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward the establishment of lasting peace, which should support the advancement of peace and stability in the region”, he continued.

Kavelashvili further highlighted the importance of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral format.

“Considering the current geopolitical realities, regional cooperation has become even more important. It aims to support peace and stability, as well as the development of our countries. In this regard, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral format is an excellent example of how countries that respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity can effectively and successfully cooperate on key regional projects”, he noted.

In the context of regional security challenges, Kavelashvili touched upon the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Within the context of security challenges, we discussed the Russian Federation’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the importance of security in the Black Sea region, and Turkey’s tireless efforts to contribute to creating opportunities for dialogue between the conflicting parties”, the President said.

He added that the meeting further discussed the ongoing developments in the Middle East, and concluded by emphasising that Georgia supported the necessity of establishing peace in the region.