Civilnet
On August 19, the Defence Ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia—Zakir Hasanov, Ismet Yilmaz, and Irakli Alasania respectively— held a trilateral meeting at the Nakhichevan Army Headquarters. Following the meeting, the defence ministers held a short briefing in which they discussed the agenda, including the military-political situation, security issues, as well as the oil and gas infrastructure in the country. The three countries have also decided to collaborate in military training to “increase their combat capability and compatibility, tripartite organization of military-technical cooperation, and military education,” says Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov.
Turkish TRT.net reports, meetings like this will be held biannually to develop defence cooperation between the three countries. It is safe to assume that the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict was also discussed as Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz said, “Turkey supports Azerbaijan and Georgia’s territorial integrity” and added that the Karabakh conflict can be resolved peacefully and as part of [Azerbaijan’s] territorial integrity.
The meeting comes just three months after the respective presidents met in Tbilisi to talk about joint energy and transportation projects. The recent meeting confirmed that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway project, and the Trans Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) are well under way, while the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Natural Gas Pipeline Projects have been completed.
Deputy Minister Davit Tonoyan said that he is not concerned with Georgia’s deepening entente with Turkey and Azerbaijan, but is cognizant of its geopolitical implications.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Alasania met with Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanian last July after which Ohanian reported that military ties with the two countries have “dynamically” developed. Alasania told Georgian media that the recent Nakhichevan meeting was not “directed against anyone.”
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili is currently in Yerevan on an official two-day visit.
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