The annual trilateral Eternity 2021 drills have started at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) of Georgia's defence forces, the Georgian Defence Ministry said in a report.

More than 2,000 participants from three countries - Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan - are participating in the drills.

A rapid reaction sub-unit of the Georgian Interior Ministry's Strategic Pipelines Protection Department is engaged in the drills for the first time this year as well as Georgian-made Didgori 1, Didgori 2, and Didgori 3 vehicles, the report said.

The drills scenario is based on peace operations aimed at protecting the safety of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in crisis situations and improving interoperability among Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Georgian military sub-units.

The drills end on 8 October, the Georgian government-run Agenda.ge website noted on the same day.

Azerbaijani and Turkish defence ministers in Georgia

Azerbaijani and Turkish defence ministers Zakir Hasanov and Hulusi Akar respectively are visiting Georgia, the Georgian Defence Ministry said on 5 October.

They held separate meetings with Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze, the defence ministry said.

At a meeting with Hasanov, the two officials focused on peace and stability in the region, bilateral cooperation and the importance of maintaining the level of bilateral cooperation, which, as stated, facilitated establishing positive relations and increasing interoperability between servicemen.

The two officials also signed a bilateral cooperation plan.

At a meeting with Akar, Burchuladze focused on expertise and technical and material support provided by Turkey as part of strategic cooperation, which, as noted, played a significant role in the development of defence forces.

A day earlier, the visiting ministers also met separately with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili and discussed defence cooperation and regional security.

Gharibashvili thanked Turkey for its unwavering support for Georgia on its path to NATO, emphasising that Georgia welcomed the resolution of conflicts in line with international law and within internationally recognised borders.

With Hasanov, Gharibashili focused on strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, regional security, and successful implementation of joint projects. Attention was also focused on trilateral cooperation among Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, which is a unique regional mechanism and provides an opportunity to discuss important issues at the level of high-ranking officials, foreign and defence ministers, and other agencies.

Separatist Abkhazia upset by drill

Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia, meanwhile, condemned the drills as a "provocative move" aimed at "encouraging Georgia's military ambitions," the so-called Abkhaz Foreign Ministry stated.

The so-called Abkhaz ministry said that having secured military aid from the USA and NATO, Georgia opted to deepen military cooperation with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The foreign ministry argued that the military activities of Georgia could at any time pose a real threat to the regional security architecture.