UPDATE - Turkey signs defense deal with Georgia, Azerbaijan

UPDATES WITH GEORGIAN CHIEF OF STAFF’S REMARKS

By Davit Kachkachishvili

TBILISI, Georgia (AA) - Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar signed a defense agreement with Georgian and Azerbaijani defense chiefs on Tuesday.

Akar met Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Gen. Zakir Hasanov and Georgian Chief of Staff Gen. Vladimir Cachibaia in Tbilisi, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on its website.

“In this meeting between the three countries, we will discuss military and defense industry cooperation,” Akar told reporters before the 3-hour meeting.

The meeting also discussed regional developments and the fight against terrorism.

Cachibaia thanked Turkey for extending its support to Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to the country’s NATO integration process.

He also voiced Georgia’s appreciation for Turkey’s role in the establishment and development of the country’s armed forces.

In June, the militaries of the three nations held joint exercises, dubbed Caucasian Eagle, in Georgia.