Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed the Istanbul Declaration on Monday, reaffirming their commitment to stronger regional cooperation, connectivity and stability across the South Caucasus.
The three countries’ foreign ministers met in Istanbul for the 10th Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, a format launched in 2012 to promote political, economic and security cooperation among the three neighbours.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts, Jeyhun Bayramov and Maka Botchorishvili, for the talks, which focused largely on regional security, economic integration, energy cooperation and transport links.
Following the closed-door meeting, the ministers signed the Istanbul Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognised borders.
The document also stressed the importance of achieving peace, stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus following decades of conflict and political tension.
“The strategic partnership between our three countries continues to make important contributions to regional peace,” Fidan said at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts.
According to diplomatic sources, discussions between the three foreign ministers centred on East-West connectivity projects, particularly the emerging Middle Corridor.
Speaking to reporters, Botchorishvili stressed the importance of transit and connectivity initiatives for the region’s economic development and stability.
Bayramov, for his part, said the trilateral mechanism had become an “effective platform” for advancing the three countries’ shared interests and strengthening regional cooperation.
The meeting comes amid significant geopolitical shifts in the South Caucasus, where regional governments hope to capitalise on growing demand for alternative trade and energy routes linking Europe with Central Asia and China.
The three countries are already connected through several major infrastructure projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Southern Gas Corridor, which transports Caspian natural gas to European markets.
In recent years, the trilateral format has gained greater significance as the Middle Corridor has emerged as a key east-west trade route, providing an efficient alternative to traditional routes disrupted by geopolitical tensions elsewhere.
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