President Aliyev: Azerbaijani-Georgian interior ministries’ cooperation important
By Aynur Karimova
The cooperation between Azerbaijani and Georgian Interior Ministries is important in ensuring security in the region, President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with visiting Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Mghebrishvili on November 26.
Recalling his recent successful official visit to Georgia, the head of state noted that the bilateral relations, as well as regional cooperation and important issues related to security were discussed during the trip.
Mghebrishvili, in turn, touched upon the cooperation between the law enforcement bodies of the two countries, and noted the significance of strengthening the cooperation between Azerbaijani and Georgian relevant authorities, particularly at a time when terrorism and crime reign in the world.
He underlined that his country also attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan in cultural and social fields.
Azerbaijan and Georgia established diplomatic relations in 1992, one year after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. In October 1997, Azerbaijan and Georgia became two of the four founding members of GUAM, an organization that also includes Ukraine and Moldova.
Today, the two countries are successfully cooperating in the political field, and strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia is developing from day to day.
The two neighboring countries enjoy not only good political relations, but also long-standing and successful cooperation in the energy sector. Further, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR is deeply involved in the energy market in the neighboring South Caucasus republic.
Azerbaijan has long been one of Georgia’s largest trade partners, with trade turnover between the two countries reaching $1.35 billion in 2014.
Azerbaijan mainly exports petroleum, petroleum oils and gases, gypsum, anhydrite, plaster and other products to Georgia, while motor cars, live bovine animals, bars and rods of iron, as well as cement, make up the majority of imported goods from Georgia to Azerbaijan.
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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
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