The 10th edition of a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be held in Istanbul on Monday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Georgia’s Maka Botchorishvili.
Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday that the meeting will focus on a review of cooperation between the three countries and future steps to improve joint work. The meeting’s agenda include regional developments, foreign policy issues, cooperation in the South Caucasus, reinforcing transportation, connectivity and regional transit networks, energy security and deepening commercial and economic relations, the sources said.
At the meeting, Fidan is expected to highlight the rising strategic importance of the South Caucasus at a time of geopolitical uncertainties, increasing economic fragility and security challenges, and trilateral cooperation mechanism between the three countries serving as a significant and solution-oriented platform promoting stability and welfare in the region.
The most immediate threat to the security in the region is the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, by which the three countries are expected to be affected directly or indirectly. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is another immediate security challenge, especially for Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
Fidan will highlight that Türkiye’s strong and multi-dimensional relations with Azerbaijan and Georgia greatly contributed to regional stability and economic integration. Sources said the minister would also point out the rising importance of the Middle Corridor, in light of transformation of global supply chains, energy supply security debate and changing geo-economical dynamics, in terms of connectivity between Europe and Asia. The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is a rapidly developing multimodal transport network – combining rail and maritime links – that connects China and Southeast Asia to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.
The corridor, stretching from China's far east, through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan toward Türkiye and Europe is seen as a vital artery bypassing conflict areas, including Russia and Ukraine in the north and Middle East in the south.
In this context, Fidan is expected to highlight that strengthening regional transportation projects, developing logistics networks and increasing transportation options in the Middle Corridor, particularly the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, are among joint priorities.
On June 2, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia marked the launch of full-capacity operations on the key freight and passenger link between Europe and China. A vital segment of the Middle Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line was launched in 2017 and has since played a significant role in strengthening links between Asia and Europe.
The three countries are also linked by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line. Trade links between Türkiye and the Caucasus region were limited before the BTK was inaugurated. The link starts in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, trains stop in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, pass through gauge-changing facilities in Akhalkalaki and end their journey in the northeastern Turkish town of Kars. The link reduces journey times between China and Europe to around 15 days, which is more than twice as fast as the sea route. Trains can depart from cities in China, cross into Kazakhstan at the Khorgos Gateway, be transported across the Caspian Sea by ferry to the New Port of Baku and then be loaded directly onto the BTK and head to Europe.
Fidan will also emphasize the major contribution of strategic projects on energy to the energy security of the three countries as well as the wider region, the importance of developing cooperation further on energy and sustainable connectivity.
Sources said he would also stress the strategic importance of permanent peace, stability and normalization in the South Caucaus for regional prosperity. Additionally, he is expected to highlight the threat of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the South Caucaus, the Black Sea and the regions in the vicinity and the need to support diplomatic efforts to end the conflict as soon as possible through a fair and lasting peace.
Foreign ministers of the three countries first met in a trilateral format in Trabzon, a Black Sea Turkish province, in June 2012, in a bid to institutionalize the political dialogue and enhance regional cooperation. The last meeting was held in Baku in March 2024. The meetings focused on foreign policy, regional developments, transportation and connectivity, energy security, commerce and regional infrastructure projects. The three countries are located right on a strategic connection route between Europe and Asia.
