By Davit Kachkachishvili and Fatma Zehra Solmaz and Esra Tekin
TBILISI, Georgia/ISTANBUL (AA) - Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili praised Türkiye on Wednesday.
"We see Türkiye as an extremely important and leading country in the region, and we evaluate it as such," she said at a joint news conference with her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in the capital Ankara.
Saying she was pleased to visit Ankara for the first time as foreign minister for official engagements, Bochorishvili said the meeting with Fidan as highly productive.
“Türkiye is a special friend of Georgia," she added.
Botchorishvili invited Fidan to Georgia, emphasizing that the meetings were an opportunity to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
She also thanked Ankara for its support of Georgia’s territorial integrity, highlighting that Türkiye’s backing further reinforces the relationship between the two nations.
“This is a truly exemplary neighborly relationship between our countries,” she said.
She noted that during their meeting, they discussed many critical issues, including principles that could help establish peace and prosperity in the region.
“In this regard, your perspectives are extremely important to me,” she stressed.
Highlighting the importance of enhancing relations between Georgia and its neighbors Azerbaijan and Armenia, Botchorishvili said: “For decades, relations have been developed through various formats, enabling the realization of numerous different and beneficial projects. With your support, I hope that these projects and activities can continue in the future.”
- Support for Georgia's NATO membership
Botchorishvili pointed out the importance of Ankara's continued support for her country’s NATO membership bid and also said that Türkiye is Georgia’s top trade partner, stressing the vast potential for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.
Referring to the many joint projects between Türkiye and Georgia, she underscored the importance of the Middle Corridor project and reiterated Georgia’s commitment to its development.
She noted that the projects jointly undertaken by the two countries are not only regionally significant but also hold global importance.
She also said that Georgia supports maintaining peace in the Caucasus region and that joint projects can contribute to this goal.
Botchorishvili also said they discussed the Russia-Ukraine war during their bilateral meeting, emphasizing the importance of ending the conflict through peaceful means.
Drawing attention to Russia’s influence in the region, which poses a "challenge" for Georgia, she said: “This does not only affect Georgia but the entire region.”