2019-11-01
Giorgi Gakharia, Prime Minister of Georgia paid an Official Visit to the Republic of Turkey on October 31, 2019. Series of meetings started with face-to-face negotiations with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey.
It was agreed to convene a meeting of Turkey-Georgia Strategic Partnership Council in the nearest future.
As a result of negotiations it was also agreed that mixed meeting of the Economic Council of the two countries to be held at the ministerial level. It was noted to facilitate the further deepening of trade and economic relations and greater use of the potential existing towards this end.
Cooperation in the sectors of energy and logistics was also discussed among such important projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and joint efforts in the areas of tourism, arts and culture.
Special attention was paid to the meeting on the ensured security in the Black Sea region and significant role plaid by Georgia and Republic of Turkey towards this end.
President Erdogan once again confirmed solid support of the Republic of Turkey to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
President of the Republic of Turkey thanked the Prime Minister of Georgia for his Official Visit and noted that high-level bilateral visits will inject new dynamism to the interaction of Turkey and Georgia.
Face-to-face meeting was followed with negotiations in an extended format at a business lunch, which engaged government officials from both countries.
Upon the end of the meetings, parties made joint media statements. Prime Minister of Georgia noted that Turkey nowadays is the largest trade partner of Georgia, though it is possible to double the bilateral trade volumes in the coming years.
Head of Government of Georgia underlined the special friendly relations and strategic partnership with Turkey, thereby congratulating the people and leader of Turkey with the Republic Day.
"We discussed a lot of topics at the meeting today, including security, arts and culture, along with a cooperation in trade and economy. Our cooperation in the energy sector is very important. As You rightly noted, Georgia is an energy and cultural bridge for Turkey with its brotherly nations, similar to Turkey being a bridge for Georgia towards Europe. Our cooperation within the energy corridors is of critical significance. We highly value the role of Turkey both in the context of security in the Black Sea and greater region. Thank you for demonstrating solid support to the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia in the recent decades. I wish to assure you that we fully share the idea of every conflict in the region to be resolved solely through peace for the stable development of the region" noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.
According to the Head of Government of Georgia, discussions held during one day yet again evidence the strategic relations between the two countries, which serve as a basis for resuming the Strategic Council in the nearest future.
Prime Minister of Georgia expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Turkey for a warm and productive meeting, thereby inviting him to visit Georgia.
President of Turkey accepted the invitation and noted that he will visit Tbilisi in spring. President of Turkey thanked the Prime Minister of Georgia, once again congratulating him with the appointment to the position of the Head of Government of Georgia.
"He is a leader, who had a close cooperation with our Minister of Interior in his previous capacity as a 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. We discussed our historic links at the meeting, along with our shared values and opportunities brought by the neighborhood. I instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey accordingly and Strategic Partnership Council will convene in the nearest future. We have developing relations in every dimension with our friendly nation of Georgia ranging from trade to tourism, from energy to defense. I believe that strategic partnership will be beneficial not only for our two countries, but for the entire region" noted the President of the Republic of Turkey.
Within the scope of an Official Visit meetings were also held with Fuat Oktay, Vice-President of the Republic of Turkey and Mustafa Sentop, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey.
Focus at the meeting with the Vice-President of the Republic of Turkey was made on the friendly relations and strategic partnership of the two countries.
Turkish side confirmed its solid support towards territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia at high-level meetings.
Prime Minister of Georgia paid tribute to the memory of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and visited the Mausoleum within the scope of his Official Visit to the Republic of Turkey.
Government delegation of Georgia included David Zalkaliani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Natia Turnava, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; Irakli Chikovani, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Prime Minister's Press Office