Emil Avdaliani
On April 17, Tbilisi hosted a closed trilateral meeting between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. The main goal of the meeting was to share the common interests and views of the three countries that will contribute to the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation and geopolitical stability of the South Caucasus (Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, April 17). Additionally, the summit aimed to build a new format for regional cooperation on top of the already existing web of partnerships and alliances spanning the region.
In attendance were the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, Lasha Darsalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elnur Mammadov, and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vahan Kostanyan, and members of their delegations (1tv.ge, April 17). According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the meeting was opened by Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili, who spoke about the strategic role of the South Caucasus, its potential, and the room for cooperation formats (Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, April 17). Bochorishvili argued that Georgia sincerely desires to contribute to the development of regional cooperation in the South Caucasus, which still needs to fully realize its geopolitical role.
After the summit, the foreign ministers issued a joint statement explaining that the “meeting served as an open exchange of views and presentation of visions on potential areas for collaboration” (Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, April 17). The summit is considered the first trust-building step between Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan for the “eventual advancement” of future, higher-level dialogue.
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