Trilateral meeting of Azeri, Turkish, Georgian FMs

The third trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia was held in Ganja, Azerbaijan on Feb. 19.

Within the scope of the meeting which was participated by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr. Elmar Memmedyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Mrs. Maia Panjikidze, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, views were exchanged on the possibilities of developing regional cooperation regarding issues of common interest to all three countries and the decisions adopted at previous meetings were reviewed.

At the Ganja Statement which was signed at the end of the meeting, Foreign Ministers stressed their satisfaction with development of relations among the three countries and emphasized the importance of further enhancing cooperation in political, trade, economic, environmental protection and humanitarian fields, including culture, science, healthcare, tourism and sport. Ministers reiterated their firm support to each others' sovereignty, territorial integrity and underlined the importance of earliest peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the Nagorno-Karabakh as well as in Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the basis of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of the states, as well as relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations, OSCE and Council of Europe. Furthermore, Foreign Ministers pointed out to the vital importance of the successful implementation of large-scale energy projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and the earliest conclusion of construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway.

Speaking at the joint press conference, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu stressed that in the period after the Cold War, one of the problem-free and most structural relations have developed among Turkey, Azeribaijan and Georgia and pointed out that the joint projects carried out by the three countries also constituted projects toward peace. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu stated that a new tradition will be started this year among the three countries and within this framework, the first Summit of the Presidents of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be hosted by Georgia.

Stating that Turkey is of the opinion that South Caucasus should turn into a peace basin, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu, upon a question, said that the full normalization between Turkey and Armenia will not be possible as long as Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh continues.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu also held bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Azeribaijan and Georgia.

ANN.Az