Georgia’s President Meets His Counterparts in Baku
BAKU – During his official visit to Azerbaijan, the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, met with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Montenegro and Albania.
At Margvelashvili and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s meeting they disused strengthening long term cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan including projects related to energy security. As President Margvelashvili pointed out, Georgia is highly interested in improving relations with Azerbaijan in regard to energy. He added that Georgia is a consumer of Azerbaijan’s energy resources and a reliable transit country.
The "Southern Gas Corridor" project was also discussed. According to Margvelashvili, the project plays a key role in strengthening security in the region, as well as in the entire Europe.
The conversation then shifted to the successful cooperation in the areas of tourism, culture, and trade.
Margvelashvili thanked President Aliyev for his support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and also for his annual support of the UN resolution on the ‘Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia’.
The presidents noted that territorial conflicts in Georgia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be solved considering the principles of international law.
At the meeting between presidents of Georgia and Montenegro, Margvelashvili and Filip Vujanovic discussed the current relations between the two countries and the prospects of further cooperation. The importance of strengthening political and economic cooperation especially was highlighted at the meeting.
Georgia’s Margvelashvili also met Bujar Nishani, the President of Albania. Margvelashvili thanked President Nishani for his firm support of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-recognition policy. The parties also discussed the current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia. Margvelashvili noted that the human rights and security situation in the occupied territories has worsened and stressed the need for international on-site security mechanisms.
The President of Albania once again emphasized his support of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration process.
Additionally, the President of Georgia also visited the State Management Academy in Baku, where he met with students and professors. At the academy Margvelashvili was awarded an honorary PHD.
After the meetings, Georgian president summed up his visit to Baku. According to him, the visit was another opportunity for Georgia to display its positions internationally.
By Thea Morrison