Georgia says new Azerbaijan-Armenia routes will not replace it

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said the construction of new roads between Azerbaijan and Armenia would not undermine Georgia’s role as a key transit hub in the region.

Speaking to Imedi television, she said expanding regional connectivity was positive and posed no risk to Georgia’s position.

“Georgia will not disappear from the map. Demand for the route through Georgia, which has functioned for a long time, continues to grow each year,” she said, adding that no single corridor could replace it.

She also noted that the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia reached in Washington on Aug. 8 last year remains high on the agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to Botchorishvili, visits by U.S. Vice President James David Vance to Azerbaijan and Armenia were a continuation of that agreement.