Baku, June 9, 2026 – The Europe Today: The 10th Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye was held in Istanbul on June 8, bringing together Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, and Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
In his remarks, Minister Bayramov underscored that amid rising geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and global economic uncertainties, political coordination and cooperation among countries have become increasingly vital. He described the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye trilateral format as a key platform for ensuring regional stability, security, and sustainable development.
Highlighting the growing scope of cooperation, he referred to recent meetings of the three countries’ parliamentary foreign relations committees in Baku, the 7th Business Forum hosted by Georgia, and the trilateral defense ministers’ meeting in Ankara, noting that these engagements reflect the comprehensive and multidimensional nature of the partnership.
Bayramov stressed that trilateral cooperation has emerged as one of the major driving forces of regional stability and economic growth, citing landmark projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Southern Gas Corridor, and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as clear evidence of successful collaboration.
He further emphasized energy cooperation as a cornerstone of the partnership, noting Azerbaijan’s current natural gas exports to 16 countries. He added that the extension of the Azerbaijan-Georgia gas supply agreement and the arrangement between SOCAR and BOTAŞ regarding supplies from the second phase of the Absheron field would further strengthen regional energy security.
On transport and connectivity, the minister highlighted the importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), stating that modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the resumption of passenger train services would significantly enhance regional connectivity and mobility. He also noted the importance of the TRIPP project and uninterrupted connectivity between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as vital elements of regional cooperation and confidence-building.
Bayramov pointed to broad potential for expanding collaboration in sectors including information and communication technologies, agriculture, water resource management, high technologies, and tourism, while also calling for closer coordination to address security threats, terrorism, cyber risks, transnational organized crime, and climate change challenges.
Reaffirming Azerbaijan’s support for Türkiye’s hosting of COP31, he emphasized Baku’s commitment to further strengthening trilateral cooperation and advancing regional prosperity and security.
He also addressed ongoing peace efforts with Armenia, noting that Azerbaijan’s initiatives and confidence-building measures have contributed to the normalization process, while stressing the importance of resolving remaining issues to achieve lasting peace. He further expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East, urging resolution of conflicts through diplomacy in line with international law.
The ministers reviewed future prospects of trilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global security issues. At the conclusion of the meeting, they signed the Istanbul Declaration outlining the outcomes of their discussions, followed by a joint press conference where they addressed media questions.
