On his first visit to Azerbaijan as Prime Minister, Georgian leader Irakli Kobakhidze was accompanied by Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili and Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili as part of the official delegation to Baku on 16 March.

During the visit, Prime Minister Kobakhidze held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov.

In a meeting at the presidential palace on 16 March, Prime Minister Kobakhidze and President Aliyev highlighted the "high level" of strategic partnership between their nations, focusing on robust trade and economic cooperation. They discussed wide-ranging strategic initiatives and the potential for future cooperation in the transport and energy sectors.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze thanked President Aliyev for Azerbaijan's support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both leaders emphasised the importance of regional peace and stability, with Kobakhidze reaffirming Georgia's commitment to promoting these goals.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze spoke of the productive nature of his visit, underlining the priority of strengthening the deep-rooted friendship and strategic alliance between Georgia and Azerbaijan. They explored mutual benefits in the fields of trade, energy, sustainability and infrastructure, and reaffirmed Georgia's commitment to promoting lasting peace and stability in the region.

On the same day, Prime Minister Kobakhidze also met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ali Asadov, where they discussed trade and economic relations, joint regional efforts and the importance of the strategic partnership. The crucial role of the Middle Corridor for freight transport and the forthcoming meeting of the Georgian-Azerbaijani Intergovernmental Economic Commission were highlighted.

The meeting underlined the importance of establishing stability and peace in the region, with Mr Kobakhidze reaffirming Georgia's readiness to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus.

The Prime Minister's visit followed a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in Baku on 15 March, where discussions covered a range of issues including politics, trade, economics, energy, agriculture, transport and cultural-humanitarian issues. The Baku Declaration was signed at the end of the meeting, highlighting the ongoing implementation and progress of joint transit and energy projects. The need for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to become fully operational soon was underlined, as was the importance of trilateral cooperation given the growing international importance of the Middle Corridor.

The broad scope of cooperation within the tripartite format was praised, as well as the regular meetings in parliamentary, defence, economic and other fields. The commitment to friendship, mutual understanding and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity was reaffirmed by all parties, with Turkish and Azerbaijani representatives congratulating Georgia on its EU candidacy status.

Full text of the Baku statement

The ministers:

- Reaffirmed the robust relations among their countries based on friendship, historical ties, mutual respect, and trust, aiming to deepen cooperation across various domains, including politics, economics, trade, peace, security, science, technology, and culture.

- Acknowledged their states' significant contributions to regional peace, stability, and development, and expressed mutual commitment to further these goals for the collective prosperity and security of the wider region.

- Acknowledged the challenges and emerging threats their nations face, including terrorism, cyber-attacks, and hybrid warfare, emphasizing the need to accelerate trade and investment activities to bolster regional economic profiles.

- Stressed the importance of regional connectivity for sustainable economic growth and development and expressed solidarity with Azerbaijan in its efforts to rebuild and restore territories affected by conflict.

- Offered solidarity to Turkey following devastating earthquakes and attacks, highlighting their unequivocal support for each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and border inviolability.

- Welcomed Azerbaijan's full restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting its post-conflict recovery efforts, and expressed support for normalization efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

- Reaffirmed support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty and expressed determination to combat terrorism, transnational crime, and illegal trafficking.

- Emphasized cooperation in energy, education, tourism, ICT, and transportation infrastructure development, including completing railway projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and the Marabda-Kartsakhi section.

- Supported sustainable growth initiatives and renewable energy and strengthened economic cooperation through effective projects and investments.

- Appreciated cooperation in international organizations and expressed the desire to strengthen bonds of friendship through youth and athletic exchanges.

- Welcomed Azerbaijan's selection to host the 29th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2024.