"Aliyev's proposal to open new opportunities for countries and peoples of South Caucasus" Caliber.Az's interview with Georgian experts

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on April 27. President Aliyev said during the meeting that the two countries have common views on the development of the South Caucasus, pointing out the good opportunities for trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, especially in the post-conflict period, and affirmed the Azerbaijani side’s readiness for this. The head of state said that Georgia also shares this position and expressed hope that Armenia would understand that this was the only way to establish stability and security in the region.

The editorial staff of Caliber.Az asked Georgian experts to comment on the meeting and proposals of the Azerbaijani president.

According to Teymuraz Zakradze, an expert in geopolitics and former advisor to ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, President Aliyev has made a remarkable, even historic proposal for the format of cooperation between the three South Caucasus countries.

"After so many years of disunity, which was only to Moscow's advantage, common sense has prevailed. It is simply necessary that we, Caucasian neighbors and geopolitical partners, live in peace and harmony, because mutually beneficial partnership cooperation between our countries will only benefit our peoples and states.

In my opinion, the peoples and governments of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia need to focus on their mutual national interests because it is impossible to have your own success and a good life if your immediate neighbor lives badly, if your neighbor has problems, these problems will affect us too. Therefore, the countries of such a wonderful region as the South Caucasus cannot face the problems alone. Any problem becomes common by default. It is the Caucasian way to share both sorrow and joy. There can be no joy and prosperity without peace," Zakradze said.

According to Georgian politician Anzor Bitsadze, a member of the Political Council of the United Georgia Party, in today's post-Soviet world, which also faces the threat of World War III, all states, including South Caucasus countries, have confronted the most serious challenges.

"That is why regional cooperation is of particular significance. Mr. Aliyev's statement about the trilateral format of cooperation is very important and really opens up new opportunities for our countries. Many regional projects are put aside because conflicts in our region have hindered full cooperation.

Unfortunately, the existing conflicts in Georgia are still considered to be frozen. And we, regretfully, have virtually no dialogue with the Abkhazians and Ossetians. This is an obstacle to the resolution of these conflicts and to full-fledged cooperation among all peoples.

Despite obstacles and problems, Azerbaijan and Armenia are negotiating and looking for ways to cooperate, and it is an important and good example. It also opens up new opportunities for the region as a whole. I hope Georgia will actively join the process of developing cooperation between our three states. This will benefit all countries and our region will become more important outside.
This, in turn, will open up additional positive economic opportunities for our states and peoples. The implementation of President Aliyev's statement should begin as soon as possible. It will help the region to get over the shocks, which, given the current situation, alas, are inevitable" Bitsadze said.

According to the Georgian analyst, retired State Security Colonel David Kartvelishvili, the post-communist development of the world economy, the continuing Russian-Ukrainian armed confrontation, and anti-Russian international economic sanctions have made the South Caucasus transit-transport corridor face new challenges and new opportunities.

"Commodity turnover, transport and energy traffic bypassing Russia, on the East-West, provides new opportunities for our states - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and brings them to an efficiently new scale and level. Guided by the interests of economic and political security of our own countries, we have reached a qualitatively new level of mutual trust towards each other and, as a consequence, the trust of the global economic community towards the region.

Peace, harmony and stability can be achieved in the region through the efforts by the political leadership of the three states. There is no alternative, and all three regional leaders agree on this issue. The visit of Ilya Darchiashvili, recently appointed head of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, to Azerbaijan was precisely timed to further develop the South Caucasus transport-economic format. The change in the geopolitical architecture has given impetus to the revision of the regional contradictions of the past in the direction of early and positive dynamics of their resolution in order to improve the economy of the region as a whole, and our neighboring nations in particular.

It would be quite logical and expected for reciprocal visits, both at the level of government delegations and specialized expert circles.

Regular expert "summits" in Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku, which in the recent past have been associated with the impossibility of peaceful dialogue and building mutually beneficial cooperation, also paved the way for breaking stereotypes. In today's geopolitical space, engulfed by wars, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan could give the world an example of wisdom and the desire for good-neighborliness, qualities which, unfortunately, are increasingly becoming scarce," Kartvelishvili believes.

According to Kakha Kenkadze, former international affairs advisor to Georgia's president (Eduard Shevardnadze, 1992 - 2003) and a researcher at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, stability and cooperation between the South Caucasus republics is an unbiased request of our nations.

"I fully agree with Mr. Aliyev. I hope that politicians of other countries in the region understand this very well. Mr. Aliyev is a key figure in this process, and he has all the personal, professional and charismatic qualities to implement this task.

And it is no coincidence that he came up with this initiative. The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples are wise enough, we are cultural nations and therefore our peoples have no alternative but to live in friendship and harmony. History is created by individuals and in this regard, I express my great gratitude to Ilham Aliyev.

Other countries should not interfere in this process. It should be a format of 3 and not "3+3". We have all the resources, historical experience, educated society and professional politicians for that. No one can know better than Azerbaijanis, Armenians, and Georgians themselves what we need most. Fortunately, we have a long and fruitful political, economic and cultural experience and most importantly we have brilliant young people. Baku - Tbilisi - Yerevan is the format of our future regional cooperation," Kenkadze said.

According to the representative of the Global Journalism Council in Georgia, editor-in-chief of News Day Georgia news agency Avtandil Otinashvili, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev's proposal creates entirely new opportunities for the South Caucasus countries in the transport sphere.

“The statement of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding good opportunities for interaction in the trilateral format between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, especially in the post-conflict period, is a signal for the peaceful coexistence of the South Caucasus countries.

Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for Georgia, our political relations are at the highest level. Of course, strengthening regional cooperation is a priority for Georgia as well.

The initiative expressed by the Azerbaijani president is very significant, because it highlights the importance to implement specific new projects that will enhance economic cooperation and transport communications in terms of using the potential of the Caspian and Black Seas. At the same time, we have to remember that the designated format also implies the involvement of the United States, the European Union, Turkey, or other major players that are ready to help develop the above-mentioned projects.

At present, economic and political relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are at the highest level. The head of the Georgian government underlines that Azerbaijan is not only our close neighbor but a strategic partner as well," Otinashvili said.