Azerbaijan-Georgia collaboration: A pillar of regional security and prosperity

By Mazahir Afandiyev

The region's locomotive state, Azerbaijan, is currently forging connections with Georgia in a number of areas in the South Caucasus. Georgia's geopolitical significance in the region has grown, especially as a result of the situation around the nearly 30-year conflict with Armenia.

The strong historical ties that have developed between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia, who have lived peacefully in the South Caucasus for centuries, as well as relations in the fields of security, defense, economy, trade, energy, transport and logistics, tourism, culture, and other areas, are based on mutual respect and equal friendship.

The wise peoples of Georgia and Azerbaijan have a long history of friendly relations. Our relationships' past experiences demonstrate how similar and intertwined our futures are. Due to this historical experience, cooperation is required in order to maintain regional independence, peace, and security as well as to integrate into the civilized world.

Establishing close relations with neighboring countries and preserving South Caucasus security was one of Azerbaijan's primary objectives following its second independence in 1991. Thanks to his friendship with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, which dates back to the Soviet era, Great Leader Heydar Aliyev was able to further strengthen good-neighbourly relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan when he announced the country's foreign policy priorities in 1993. He did this by drawing on his experience and making effective use of the opportunities that were available. Activities were so conducted as to avoid conflict hotspots in the South Caucasus and to further strengthen the historical linkages between our peoples.

In addition to being friends and neighbors, Azerbaijan and Georgia are now significant strategic partners. The Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia signed the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Strengthening Mutual Security on March 8, 1996, which established the framework for our strategic partnership. More than 125 documents have been signed between our nations throughout the past time, and multiple high-level reciprocal visits have been conducted.

Azerbaijan has consistently supported Georgia's development, prosperity, and stability. Taking good-neighbourly and cordial relations between our countries to the next level, perhaps an alliance, assures regional stability and security.

Azerbaijan has made 3.6 billion dollars in economic investments in Georgia as a result of years of productive cooperation. Furthermore, the world's most notable example of active partnership is the carrying out of significant energy and transportation projects that benefit both nations greatly.

The ever-evolving collaboration between Azerbaijan and Georgia which serves as a link between Europe and Asia, advances not only the political and economic climate in the region but also the worldwide economy. Notably, our nation presently exports natural gas to eleven other nations via Georgian transit, and productive work on the Middle Corridor project, which spans a large geographic area, continues.

Over the past few years, the customary gatherings between Georgia and Azerbaijan have helped to strengthen our friendship and bring our two countries closer together. Following Georgia's parliamentary elections, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze made his first trip to Azerbaijan on January 17, 2025, which further demonstrated the strong bilateral ties between our two nations.

"Georgia-Azerbaijan relations are progressing successfully in all areas. I believe that our political relations can serve as an example for all our neighbors,” President Ilham Aliyev told the press following the meeting between the two leaders. This is an indicator that our political and economic ties will continue to develop in the future, and important joint energy, transit, and logistics projects in the South Caucasus will be successfully implemented, based on an approach based on modern challenges.

In addition to the economic sphere, Azerbaijan and Georgia have developed cooperative ties within the framework of international organizations, and several significant projects that support regional security and peoples' well-being have been carried out. Among these initiatives was the South Caucasus Antidrug program (SCAD), which was carried out by the United Nations Development Program and supported by the European Union. It brought together the governments of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. In addition to covering topics like border integration, education, healthcare, security, and legislation, this project has made sure that a system for collaboration and the execution of coordinated joint operations has been established.

Thus, the cordial interactions we witness and the traditional meetings we organize open up new vistas in the South Caucasus' sociopolitical life while also contributing to the effective continuance of excellent work for the benefit of the people.

Azerbaijan liberated its territory after 30 years of occupation and now is on the verge of achieving regional security. We are confident that, like Azerbaijan, other South Caucasus nations will see the momentous chance to secure a shared future under a new political structure founded on contemporary issues and that a fully secure, tranquil, and affluent existence will be guaranteed throughout this region.

Mazahir Afandiyev, the author is a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament