Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Georgia Boost Military Ties and Regional Security

The defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Georgia discussed further strengthening their military ties and regional security during a trilateral meeting held in Georgia’s port city of Batumi on September 10.

The 11th trilateral meeting emphasized the importance of consolidating joint efforts to address modern challenges and threats to regional security. It also explored new opportunities for collaboration in military affairs, defense technology, military education, and military medicine, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s website.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani highlighted the importance of expanding the scope of joint trilateral and bilateral exercises, as well as the mutual exchange of expertise.

They stressed that developing trilateral defense cooperation would significantly contribute to establishing lasting peace, stability, and security, not only within their countries but throughout the region.

Following the meeting, the ministers signed a trilateral protocol aimed at expanding cooperation in military-technical fields, military education, and healthcare.

At a press conference following the meeting, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov said that Armenia’s continued militarization poses a serious threat to stability in the South Caucasus.

Hasanov expressed concern over Armenia’s ongoing militarization, emphasizing that Armenia’s territorial claims against neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan, along with foreign interference through Armenia, could pose a significant risk not only to Azerbaijan but to the entire region.

Prior to the trilateral meeting, the Azerbaijani and Turkish defense ministers highlighted the strong military cooperation and strategic alliance between their countries during a meeting in Georgia.

They discussed various topics, including enhancing joint military exercises, sharing military expertise, and addressing regional and global military-political developments. They also explored ways to ensure stability and peace in the region, along with other areas of mutual interest.

The Azerbaijani defense minister also met with his Georgian counterpart in Batumi to discuss strengthening military cooperation between the two nations.

During their discussions, both ministers reviewed prospects for further military collaboration and explored ways to increase the frequency and scope of joint exercises. They reaffirmed their commitment to internationally recognized territorial integrity and examined new avenues for cooperation in military, military-technical, and military-educational fields.

The trilateral defense cooperation between Georgia, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan was launched in 2012, with the ministerial meetings rotating among the three countries. These neighboring states share many common interests in the trilateral partnership, such as the protection of transport and energy infrastructure, enhancing the professionalism of their armed forces, and promoting greater stability and predictability in the region.

The security of transregional energy and transportation projects is a key driver of the trilateral partnership. Particularly for Azerbaijan, whose energy exports are one of the major sources of the country’s geopolitical importance, the security of energy infrastructure is of utmost importance.

The proximity of major oil and gas pipelines to conflict zones in Georgia, as well as PKK terrorist activities in southeastern Türkiye, where the pipelines pass through, might pose serious security risks to the region’s main energy infrastructure.