"Over recent years, Azerbaijan has entered the top five of Georgia's main trading partners, and according to this year's figures, it ranks fourth," Georgia's Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava said in an interview with the local bureau of Report.
The minister said that before the coronavirus pandemic, Azerbaijan was an important investor in Georgia: “Azerbaijani investments were channeled into the transport and communications, construction, energy, processing, health, and tourism sectors of the Georgian economy. Azerbaijan is one of our main strategic partners in terms of both trade and investment.”
In Turnava’s opinion, the two countries are cooperating productively in regional energy and transport projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Southern Gas Corridor: “These projects are important not only for the development of the South Caucasus region but also for the Eurasian region in a broader sense, as well as for general stability and security.”
She noted that the joint projects in which Georgia and Azerbaijan participate are unique in terms of importance: “We are ready to continue to actively contribute to the full operation and development of the projects. It is noteworthy that these projects have played a crucial role in ensuring the sovereignty of our countries and increasing the importance of our corridor. Georgia is ready to deepen relations with Azerbaijan in the implementation of both current and planned transport and energy projects.”
The Georgian minister also congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the Day of Restoration of Independence: “It is a great honor for me to congratulate Azerbaijan, a brotherly state for Georgia, on a significant date - the Day of Restoration of Independence. The historically close friendly relations between our countries are distinguished by their uniqueness. I am confident that the high-level strategic and good-neighborly relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan will further continue to strengthen for the benefit of both peoples. Once again I congratulate the people of Azerbaijan and wish them peace and prosperity."