Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey FMs to sign cooperation plan

The Foreign Ministers of Georgia Maia Panjikidze, Azerbaijan - Elmar Mamedyarov and Turkey - Ahmet Davutoglu will hold a meeting in the Georgian city of Batumi on Thursday. The Georgian Foreign Ministry reported that in Batumi, the foreign ministers of the three countries will sign the Plan for the expansion of sector cooperation between these states for 2013-2015. A few days before the meeting, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Jalagania told reporters in Tbilisi that the above document “covers such spheres as the economy, energy, environment, culture, education, sports and youth.” On March 27, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze stated that “Plan for the expansion of sector cooperation between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey has been developed in accordance with the adopted in Trabzon in June 2012 Declaration that highlights the most important spheres of mutual cooperation between the three states.” The Trabzon Declaration was signed on June 8, 2012 by the Foreign Ministers of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu, Elmar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Grigol Vashadze. “This declaration,” Vashadze told reporters after its signing, “emphasises the strategic relations between the three neighbouring states that already jointly implement a number of regional economic, energy and investment projects.” He stressed that the signed document will make cooperation between the three countries “more dynamic.” The authorities of Georgia stated then that “the declaration signed in Trabzon and the new format of cooperation is not targeted against any third country and only serves strengthening strategic cooperation between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” These three countries are actively cooperating with each other since the 1990's. Turkey and Azerbaijan are the biggest trade partners of Georgia, the total trade turnover between the three countries accounts for several hundred million dollars.