Baku offers assistance to Georgia in aftermath of earthquake
By Sabina Mammadli
Baku has offered assistance to Tbilisi in the aftermath of a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Georgia on February 13.
On February 14, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov spoke by phone with his Georgian counterpart David Zalkaliani about the situation in the earthquake zone.
He stated that Azerbaijan is always willing to help if needed.
Zalkaliani responded by noting that the earthquake had no serious consequences and thanking the Azerbaijani minister for his solidarity.
During the conversation, the parties discussed the development of bilateral relations as well as regional issues.
The parties also discussed cooperation within international organizations and upcoming events in the coming months.
Meanwhile, in a phone call with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov expressed concern about the recent earthquake.
During the call, the two officials expressed their appreciation for the development of friendly Azerbaijani-Georgian relations in a variety of fields, and they discussed the prospects for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.
The Georgian media reported that the tremors were strong enough to be felt in Tbilisi and Batumi.
It should be noted that tremors with a force of about 3.5 points were also felt in Ganja, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan and Georgia are collaborating in a variety of economic fields. The two countries signed a number of cooperation agreements in 2021 as part of a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.
Simultaneously, as part of the trilateral business forum held in Baku in December 2021, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey signed five memorandums and agreements on cooperation.
In 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $763.6 million, with exports accounting for $661 million and imports accounting for $102.6 million.
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