Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia sign Istanbul Declaration, reaffirm strategic trilateral partnership

Foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia have signed the Istanbul Declaration following the Tenth Trilateral Meeting held in Istanbul on 8 June 2026, underscoring expanded cooperation on regional security, connectivity, energy and economic integration.

The meeting brought together Hakan Fidan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and Maka Botchorishvili, who jointly endorsed a wide-ranging declaration highlighting shared strategic priorities and long-term regional alignment, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The document, titled the Istanbul Declaration of the Tenth Trilateral Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia, reaffirmed what the sides described as “excellent relations… based on a profound tradition of friendship, good neighborliness, mutual respect and trust,” and stressed the importance of further developing cooperation in political, economic, security and cultural spheres.

A central political message of the declaration was the reaffirmation of support for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministers “reiterated strong and unequivocal support… for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders,” while also highlighting “the importance of regional peace, security and stability” as a prerequisite for development.

The statement placed particular emphasis on connectivity and energy infrastructure as strategic pillars of trilateral cooperation. It highlighted the role of major projects such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, describing them as key contributors to regional and European energy security. The ministers also underlined the strategic importance of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway and broader Middle Corridor transport initiatives linking Asia and Europe through the South Caucasus.

Economic cooperation and investment were also strongly featured. The declaration stressed the need to “further advance trade and investment relations” and encouraged deeper engagement between business communities, chambers of commerce and industry associations across the three countries. The ministers welcomed recent business forums and ongoing efforts to expand export-import opportunities.

Security cooperation was another key focus, with the three sides expressing commitment to jointly counter “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, transnational organized crime, cyber-attacks and hybrid forms of warfare.” The document also referenced enhanced coordination in combating illicit trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime.

Environmental cooperation and green energy transition were also included in the agenda. The ministers highlighted renewable energy development, sustainable growth policies and enhanced regional coordination on climate change, while also noting Türkiye’s upcoming role in global climate diplomacy as COP31 president.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the ministers expressed appreciation for the progress achieved under existing trilateral mechanisms and agreed to continue institutional cooperation, including inter-parliamentary and transport-related formats. They also confirmed that the Eleventh Trilateral Meeting will be held in Georgia in 2027.

The declaration closed with expressions of gratitude to Türkiye for hosting the event and reaffirmed the intention to further deepen the strategic trilateral partnership in the years ahead.