Within the framework of the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia to the Republic of Turkey, Ilia Darchiashvili met with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

The sides noted with satisfaction the strategic partnership successfully developing between the two countries and acquiring an increasingly greater importance in terms of deepening bilateral relations, as well as regional cooperation.

The Ministers positively assessed the intensification of high-level relations between Georgia and Turkey. The visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili to Turkey was positively evaluated. The sides expressed their readiness to work actively in the future and exchange high-level bilateral visits. Special mention, in this regard, was made of the visit of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Georgia.

The Ministers highly appraised the activities of the Strategic Cooperation Council, which is an effective platform for strengthening relations in a multilateral format, and expressed the hope that the Council will meet in the near future.

Special attention was paid to priority areas of cooperation between Georgia and Turkey, including trade and economic contacts. The sides highlighted the successful results achieved in this regard, including increased trade turnover. The Ministers agreed to work at the level of agencies to strengthen trade and business ties between the two countries, and to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Economic Council between Georgia and Turkey.

The Ministers noted with satisfaction the high level of mutual support between the countries. Ilia Darchiashvili thanked his Turkish colleague for his government"s firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for Turkey"s strong position regarding Georgia"s foreign policy priorities.

The Ministers reviewed the security environment in the region. In this regard, Turkey"s efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region were emphasized.

Speaking about the ongoing processes in the region, the Ministers highlighted Georgia’s important role in ensuring stability and sustainable development in the South Caucasus. In this regard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey welcomed the first meeting held in Tbilisi between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Armenia and expressed the hope that Georgia will play a positive role in ensuring peace in the region.

The Foreign Ministers of Georgia and Turkey welcomed the relations of the two countries in multilateral formats and especially noted the trilateral Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey format.

Discussions also focused on close people-to-people contacts. The sides welcomed the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Ministers were presented a commemorative medallion specially designed to mark the occasion at the initiative of the Embassy of Georgia to Turkey.