Georgia-Azerbaijan coop could be model for others

The existing level of cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan could be a model for other countries, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh said on Tuesday in Tbilisi. He was addressing a regular meeting of Azerbaijan-Georgian intergovernmental commission, ongoing in Tbilisi today.

"Our cooperation is a model of economic and political plan," Rasizadeh said at the meeting.
He underlined a high level of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction of persistent growth of economic activity between the two countries.

"We should go with the time and implement significant projects for region," Rasizade noted.
Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri, in his turn, noted that cooperation between the countries is carried out not only on the level of heads of country, but also the two nations.
"Our nations are friends and this is important," he said. "This is also well indicated by a 60 percent increase in goods turnover in recent years, as well as annual growth of a number of tourists visiting Georgia."

Gilauri noted the importance of large-scale regional projects which are implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia every year.

A protocol will be signed after the meeting of intergovernmental commission.
Rasizade is scheduled to meet with the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Azerbaijan and Georgia closely cooperate in the economic sphere. The main export routes for Azerbaijani oil and gas running via Georgia through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline.

The two countries implement a joint project on opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, for which Azerbaijan has issued a $775 million loan.

SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) actively participates in the Georgian energy market. Azerbaijan occupies the second position in the list of major trade partners of Georgia.