“In today’s competitive and turbulent environment, Georgia and Turkiye have a confidence-based relationship that is becoming stronger over the years, and that is highly valuable,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, at the joint briefing with Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Numan Kurtulmuş.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, at the meeting with Numan Kurtulmuş, he discussed various issues, including deepening parliamentary ties, cooperation in different spheres and fostering peace and stability in the region.

“We are on an official visit to our friendly country, Turkiye, and we are happy for this. My deep gratitude to my colleague, Numan Kurtulmuş, for his welcome and warm hospitality.

Georgia-Turkiye cooperation is based on deep roots and strong neighbourly relations. In today’s competitive and turbulent environment, we have a confidence-based relationship becoming stronger over the years, and that is highly valuable.

We have discussed a lot of issues at today’s meeting, deepening parliamentary ties, cooperation in the economy, education and other spheres emphasizing our common vision of stability and peace in the Caucasus region and fostering this peace. Special attention was paid to the Middle Corridor’s increasing geopolitical importance. The Middle Corridor is a symbol of our common future that makes ties between Asia and Europe stronger, provides for energy security, digital connectivity and sustainable development.

Turkiye is an essential partner in the full utilization of the potential in  this route and project, also to develop ties between our peoples in cultural, educational domains,” he said.

The Parliament Speaker reiterated readiness to intensify parliamentary ties and welcomed the initiative to restore the tripartite meetings between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

“Once again, let me reiterate my full commitment and readiness for a stronger parliamentary cooperation, which will influence our deep cooperation in both parliaments and our friendship groups, and we will continue to cooperate to foster regional stability.

Let me express my gratitude to the Speaker for the initiative to renew the tripartite mechanism to restore the meetings between Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye, the meeting that was scheduled for 2023 but was postponed due to the earthquake in Turkiye. All three parliaments are ready to restore this mechanism and today we have the meeting on the level of parliamentary chairs. Thank you very much once again,” he said.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili pays an official visit to Ankara, Türkiye.

The Georgian delegation, led by Speaker Papuashvili, comprises Deputy Speaker Ilia Injia, Foreign Relations Committee Chair Nikoloz Samkharadze, Defence and Security Committee Chair Aleksandre Tabatadze and Head of Georgia-Türkiye Parliaments Friendship Group Gia Chkonia.

The Speaker will complete his visit on June 18.