Azerbaijan, Georgia discuss strategic partnership prospects

Tbilisi, May 16, AZERTAC Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade has met with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Kvirikashvili as part of his visit to Tbilisi to explore prospects for the development of strategic partnership. They discussed the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines, the East-West energy corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway projects. The two in particular discussed ways of expanding the bilateral relations between their countries in a variety of fields, including investment making, trade, power engineering and transportation. Azerbaijani PM Rasizade hailed “the friendly” relations between the two countries, saying Azerbaijan is interested in developing these ties. Hailing the importance of the projects co-implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia, Mr Rasizade said: "These projects are of crucial importance not only in strengthening our state independence and economic relations, but increasing international influence of our countries." Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili offered his congratulations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the commissioning of Baku-Supsa energy corridor, which, he said, made “significant” contributions to the development of strategic partnership between the two countries. He thanked Azerbaijan for involving Georgia in energy projects, as well as for the country's approach to solving gas and other problems faced by Georgia.