The peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia, who have coexisted peacefully in the South Caucasus region for millennia, have strong historical, cultural, economic, and trade links that are founded on mutual respect and trust — writes Mazahir Afandiyev.

The wise peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia have a long history of cordial interactions. Our relationships’ pasts demonstrate how closely related and similar our fates are. We learn from this historical experience to work as a team, to defend our independence, to maintain regional peace and security, and to assimilate into global society.

One of Azerbaijan’s primary objectives following its second independence in 1991 was to forge close ties with its neighbours and safeguard security in the South Caucasus. Thanks to his friendship with Georgia’s president Eduard Shevardnadze, which dates back to Soviet times, national leader Heydar Aliyev skillfully used his experience and opportunities to strengthen good-neighbourly relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan when he announced the country’s foreign policy priorities in 1993. As a result, initiatives to strengthen the historical bonds between our people were recognized, along with new efforts against conflict hotspots in the South Caucasus.

In addition to being friends and neighbours, Azerbaijan and Georgia are now significant strategic allies. The cornerstone of our nations’ strategic alliance is the "Agreement on Strengthening Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Security between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia," which was signed on March 8, 1996. Over 125 documents have been signed between our countries so far, following a number of high-level visits between us in the recent past.

The traditional meetings that take place now facilitate increased friendship and amity between the peoples of Georgia and Azerbaijan. The high degree of bilateral cooperation between our two nations was further demonstrated on March 16, 2024, when Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze paid an official visit to Azerbaijan.

"The two brotherly countries will move forward shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, and solve all the tasks ahead together," President Ilham Aliyev stated in his press statement. This suggests that our current political and economic ties will continue to grow more dynamic and that significant energy, transportation, and logistics projects will be carried out successfully by applying a methodology grounded in the contemporary challenges of the South Caucasus.

Among these initiatives was the UN Development Program’s Regional Assistance Program on the South Caucasus Regional Drug Control Program (SCAD), which unites the governments of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and is sponsored by the European Union. It is noteworthy that this project encompasses several domains like law, healthcare, security, education, and border integration. Additionally, it offers the establishment of a cooperative framework and the execution of coordinated collaborative initiatives.

As a result, the cordial relationships we have witnessed and the traditional meetings we hold greatly contribute to advancing the welfare of the people and enabling New Horizons to continue successfully in the sociopolitical life of the South Caucasus.

At last, Azerbaijan is getting close to restoring security in the area, having freed its territory from 30 years of occupation. We think that other South Caucasian countries, in addition to Azerbaijan, will appropriately recognize this historic chance to guarantee a shared future in the new political order, based on contemporary challenges, and that living in the South Caucasus will be entirely safe, peaceful, and prosperous.

Mazahir Afandiyev, Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Member of the Working Group For Azerbaijani-Georgian Inter-Parliamentary Relations

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