President of Turkey Invited to Visit Georgia
In his third foreign visit as the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia visited Turkey on October 31 to meet with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The PM thanked President Erdoğan for receiving him and invited the Turkish President to Georgia. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Georgia in the spring of 2020. The information about the Turkish President’s coming to Georgia was announced at a joint news conference held by the Heads of Government of the two countries.
The President of Turkey made a speech at the briefing, thanking and congratulating the Georgian Prime Minister.
“[PM Gakharia] is a leader who had close cooperation with our Minister of Interior in his previous capacity as the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia. I believe that under the leadership of our dear friend, Georgia will continue its development; relations between Turkey and Georgia will also extend further,“ said the Turkish President.
Erdoğan talked about the strong ties between the two countries, reviewing the past, the present and the hopes for the future.
“We discussed our historic links at the meeting; our shared values and opportunities brought by the neighborhood. I instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey today accordingly and the Strategic Partnership Council will convene as soon as possible. We have developing relations with the friendly nation of Georgia in every field: ranging from trade to tourism, from energy to defense. I believe that strategic partnerships will be beneficial not only to our two countries but to the entire region. The joint energy and transportation projects that we have fulfilled together with our brother Azerbaijan have enabled us to create a zone of stability from the Caucasus to Anatolia.
"A significant step has been made towards transportation," Erdoğan noted. "The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line is a milestone event towards this end. By launching this railway link, three friendly nations have been connected even more closely. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Link is a significant segment in the middle of a route passing from London to Beijing,” announced the Turkish President.
Erdoğan noted that his connections with Georgia “do not only comprise of pipelines and railway links” and went on to talk about the significance of Visa Requirement removal and the future steps the country is willing to take to find a greater use of the trade potential that exists between the two countries.
“My connections with Georgia do not only comprise of pipelines and railway links. In line with an Agreement concluded in 2011, we not only removed the visa requirement but ensured passport-free travel across the border. Turkey is the largest trade partner of Georgia and our citizens can cross the border by merely presenting their ID cards at the border. We are very happy with this achievement. I confirm that we plan to continue and increase our economic cooperation on the grounds of mutual benefit and respect. Today, we once again expressed our kind will to boost our trade volumes from $1.5 bln to 3 bln. To succeed, we will strengthen our cooperation further to make greater use of the trade potential existing between Turkey and Georgia. The favorable opportunity of this arises with a joint meeting of the Economic Commission of Turkey and Georgia to be held in Ankara soon,” reported the President of Turkey.
The President of the Republic of Turkey confirmed the country’s support of Georgia, noting the importance of Georgia’s independence and integrity. He also touched upon the joint military exercises that the two countries conduct.
“The independence of Georgia, its political stability and territorial integrity are most important for us. The joint exercise with the engagement of Turkish and Georgian military forces was continued again this year. Almost 2200 Georgian servicemen participated in training and various courses that were held in Turkey. Our efforts of peace and stability in the shared Black Sea resumes with the support of Georgia,” he said.
Prime Minister Gakharia on his part said that the meeting stands as further proof of the strategic relations that exist between the two countries. The ties, as PM Gakharia noted, are the basis for the renewal of the Strategic Partnership Council soon. He thanked President Erdoğan for his hospitality and invited the Turkish Head of State to Georgia in the spring.
Furthermore, the leaders of the two countries agreed that Georgia and Turkey both represent bridges for each other to reach other countries in the region and the West.
By Nini Dakhundaridze
Image source: Presidency of the Republic of Turkey.