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BATUMI – Azerbaijan and Georgia will establish a joint working group to develop the transport corridor from Asia to Europe through Georgia and Azerbaijan, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has said after talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
"We intend to develop this direction, as the shortest way from Beijing to Europe passes through Georgia and Azerbaijan, we are interested in the development of this transport corridor," Saakashvili told a joint press conference with President Aliyev on Sunday in Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi.
He stressed that there is close relationship between Georgians and Azerbaijanis, therefore, nothing stands in the way of implementing projects aiming to benefit the two nations.
The Georgian president emphasized that the meeting with the Azerbaijani leader discussed the economic projects to be implemented in cooperation of the two countries and their partners.
"We intend to intensify the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will also ensure a short route from Europe to Asia and develop new transport routes that will compete with the existing ones," Saakashvili said.
He said Azerbaijan is gradually becoming a regional center and its international importance increases every year.
"Azerbaijan's authority is growing not only in the region, in Europe, but throughout the world, and it is an obvious fact," Saakashvili stressed. He believes that this is "the result of the proper policy pursued by Azerbaijan's current leadership".
"The Azerbaijani authorities have found the right combination of modern technology strategies, youth development and the combination of this with the national interests and traditions, which is very difficult in the modern world," he said.
The Georgian leader stressed that he was personally witnessing these changes.
"All this has been happening in recent years before my eyes. Everyone must reckon with Azerbaijan today, and all have understood the strategic importance of this country. We have always known this, and now the whole world will know about it, and this is the main thing for Georgia", Saakashvili said.
President Aliyev said Azerbaijani-Georgian strategic partnership has now turned into a tremendously important factor on a worldwide scale.
"As a result of strengthening our relations and resolving new issues, a more predictable situation could emerge in the region," Aliyev said. "We are committed to these ties. These relations are relations between our nations. Our happiness is that throughout history the Azerbaijani and Georgian people have lived alongside in the conditions of friendship and amity, and hold each other in high esteem. And relations between our nations are making a contribution to bilateral relations."