BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16. Today, if we are talking about Europe's energy security, it is impossible to imagine it without Azerbaijan and Georgia, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during a joint press conference with President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili, Trend reports.
Statement by President Ilham Aliyev
- Dear Mr. President,
Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Dear Mr. President, I would like to once again sincerely welcome you to Azerbaijan. Welcome to Azerbaijan! I sincerely congratulate you once again on your election to the post of President and wish you the best of luck. I am very pleased that your first official visit after being elected President is to Azerbaijan. We highly appreciate this in our country. It once again reflects the essence of Georgian-Azerbaijani relations and the friendship and brotherhood between our peoples.
Our peoples have lived together in peace, friendship, and brotherhood for centuries, and this continues to be the case today. Our interstate relations are also at a high level. Georgia and Azerbaijan have jointly implemented a number of important projects, which are of tremendous importance not only for our countries and peoples but also for a wider geography. Of course, our political relations are developing. High-level contacts are regular, and there is an active political dialogue. In other words, the two friendly and brotherly countries are very closely linked in the true sense of the word and always support each other in international organizations. As I mentioned, many investment projects that unite us are of great importance for a wider geography. The oil and gas projects, the oil and gas pipelines, and the transport and communication initiatives jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia are truly of great significance. These projects have not only reshaped the transportation and energy map of the South Caucasus but also that of the entire Eurasian region. If we are talking about the energy security of Europe today, it is impossible to imagine it without Azerbaijan and Georgia. Currently, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to 12 countries, including Georgia, and these exports are carried out through Georgia. Our achievements in the field of transport and communications - the newly built railways and ports - have created great synergy in both Azerbaijan and Georgia. In fact, they have become an integral part of the Middle Corridor. If today we are talking about the Middle Corridor project in the South Caucasus, it is the corridor that passes through Azerbaijan and Georgia. Year after year, the volume of cargo passing through the territory of our countries is increasing. Additional steps are being taken to further increase the volume of this cargo.
Establishing peace and security in the South Caucasus is also a matter of our common interest, and both Georgia and Azerbaijan have made their contributions here. Unfortunately, for many years, the South Caucasus was an arena of conflict and war. I do hope that from now on, the dark pages of the South Caucasus will be closed and consigned to history.
Much can be said about Georgian-Azerbaijani relations. I simply want to state that our relations will continue to develop along an upward trajectory.
Let me once again express my gratitude to Mr. President. I am sure that the Azerbaijani people will also highly appreciate your decision. The first visit after an election is usually quite symbolic, and you are paying this visit to Azerbaijan. The Prime Minister of Georgia also paid his first official visit to Azerbaijan after the election. In other words, this has already become a wonderful tradition.
Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you again and wish you continued success in your activities.