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A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting dail...
Ankara and Tbilisi pledged to enhance "strategic partnership" in pursuit of peace in the Black Sea and Caucasus regions, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Kavelashvili, in Ankara on Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart, President Erdoğan said, “We, as Türkiye and Georgia, will continue to act shoulder to shoulder for cooperation, peace and development in our region and beyond. This vision we have displayed during today’s talks proves our determination to build not just today, but also the future in our region.”

The joint press conference was held following the bilateral meeting at the Presidential Complex, where the two parties discussed the security of the Black Sea, peace processes in the Caucasus, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
"Türkiye and Georgia are two strategic partners connected not only by their proximity as neighbours but also by deep historical, cultural, and human ties" Turkish leader said.
President Erdoğan emphasised that “cooperation in the defence industry and military fields” was amoung key matters on the agenda, adding that Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are advancing regional peace and cooperation through trilateral mechanisms in foreign policy and security.
The president also noted that Türkiye planned to host the next Trilateral meeting of Foreign Ministers in the near future as well as a Trilateral Speakers of Parliament Meeting.
“Given the current geopolitical realities, regional cooperation has become even more crucial for promoting peace, stability, and the development of our countries. In this context, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye trilateral format serves as a strong example of how nations that respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity can work together effectively and successfully—ready to implement major projects that benefit the entire region,” Kavelashvili stated.
Addressing security concerns, Georgian leader highlighted Ankara's efforts in contributing to finding dialogue possibilities between Ukraine and Russia and its role in establishing peace in Black Sea region.
Stating that Türkiye and Georgia host the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, and share oil and natural gas lines of strategic importance, President Erdoğan said that Ankara and Tbilisi will work on fostering trade and investment relations.
"Our country has been the biggest trade partner of Georgia for 17 years in a row is an obvious proof that our trade relations have been built upon strong foundations” he stated.
President Erdoğan noted that the two countries had achieved their previously set goal of a $3 billion trade volume in recent years. He also highlighted the significance of direct Turkish investments in Georgia and the $5.5 billion worth of projects undertaken by Turkish contracting companies in the country.

Kavelashvili stated that he had extended an invitation to the Turkish leader to visit Georgia and expressed hope that a meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council would be held in the near future.
“Türkiye’s support is extremely important for Georgia, particularly with regard to its territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he added.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Iran and the United States opened nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, with Tehran calling the meeting a good start and both sides agreeing to continue discussions after returning to their capitals for consultations.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. has become a central outside power in the south caucasus, shaping diplomacy, security and energy flows. Its relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia have evolved from similar beginnings into two distinct partnerships that now define Washington’s role in the region.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
Uzbekistan is preparing to introduce Islamic banking after the Senate approved legislation creating a legal framework for Sharia-compliant financial services, a move authorities say could broaden financial access and attract new investment into the country’s economy.
Agreements signed by the United States, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Washington on 5 February show that the United States is changing how it secures access to strategic raw materials.
Azerbaijan has summoned Russia’s ambassador in Baku and issued a formal protest note over remarks by Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
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