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Azerbaijan and Georgia Reinforce Links
An Azerbaijani governmental delegation including the country's foreign and education ministers visited Georgia last week.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov met with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and the Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili.
Meanwhile the Minister of Education Misir Mardanov brought humanitarian aid with him to distribute to Azerbaijani schools in Georgia. The Azerbaijani schools in Marneuli and Bolnisi regions will receive textbooks and computers as a gift from the Azerbaijani government.
Georgia's Minister of Education Kakha Lomaia traveled to Georgian schools in Azerbaijan in similar programs to deliver text books and supplies.
Azerbaijan's senior Islamic clergyman, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allakhshukur Pashazade is also in the delegation and is participating in an international religious conference in Tbilisi. Meanwhile, Pashazade invited the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II to visit Azerbaijan in the near future.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and the Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania discussed the future construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline during their meeting on Tuesday. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will begin only after the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is completed in 2005.
According to Mamedyarov, they discussed other issues of bilateral relations as well, including economic issues of cooperation. "We had very good, useful and intensive exchange of opinions," said the Azerbaijani foreign minister.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Tuesday briefing Mamedyarov said, "There are no problems in Azerbaijani-Georgian relations. There are only issues which are being decided on in constructive ways." He added that both countries have common interests both "on the regional and international level."
Talking about Georgia 's possible role as a mediator in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the foreign minister said," Baku will only welcome it if the Georgian side demonstrates this initiative."
During his visit to celebrate the 'Contract of the Century' on September 20, Zurab Zhvania met with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who expressed strong support for Georgia. President Aliyev said, "A successful Azerbaijan means a successful Georgia . And the welfare of Georgia means the welfare of Azerbaijan."
The Azeri president also declared that Baku supports Tbilisi in its fight against "aggressive separatism" and recognizes the territorial integrity of Georgia.
Source: The Messenger
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