Relations between the two countries are close and cordial. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has once described relations as "whoever opposes Azerbaijan or Georgia is an enemy of both our countries."[1]
Diaspora
There are 284,761 Azeris in Georgia. They are the largest minority of Georgia and comprise 6.5% of Georgia's population mostly in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. There is also a large Azeri community in the capital city of Tbilisi.[2] The Georgian minority in Azerbaijan is less sizable and they are known as Ingiloy.
Georgia and Azerbaijan have maintained cordial relations ever since the first establishment of their independent statehoods in 1918. On June 16, 1919, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Democratic Republic of Georgia signed a first defensive treaty against the White troops of General Anton Denikin's Volunteer Army, who were threatening to start an offensive on their borders.[3] In spite of the territorial dispute over Zaqatala district and Georgia's concerns over Azerbaijan's support to the short-lived South West Caucasian Republic, the two countries maintained peaceful relations [citation needed] in the chaotic years of the Russian Civil War. When Azerbaijan was occupied by the Bolshevik forces in April 1920, several members of the Azerbaijani political élite moved to Georgia, which too fell to the advancing Soviets early in 1921. [citation needed] Both states became union republics of the USSR in 1922 and maintained good relations.
In 1991, both Azerbaijan and Georgia restored their independence and diplomatic ties were established between them on November 18, 1992. In an effort to balance regional interests, on October 10, 1997, Azerbaijan and Georgia became two of the four founding members of GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. Countries broadly cooperate in regional energy development, transportation and economic partnership projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, the TRACECA, the BSEC. Regional military and security alliance of Georgia and Azerbaijan develops along NATO's Partnership for Peace Program and the common protection of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline with Turkey.
Energy
Georgia, under Zviad Gamsakhurdia, signed a cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan regarding the economic, scientific, technical, and cultural spheres in December 1990. In February 1993, Georgia under Shevardnadze, concluded a far-reaching treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual relations with Azerbaijan, including a mutual security arrangement and assurances that Georgia would not reexport Azerbaijani oil or natural gas to Armenia. In 1993, Azerbaijan attempted to pressure Georgia into joining the blockade against Armenia during the first Nagorno-Karabakh War but to no avail.[4]
Georgian exports to Azerbaijan include cement, locomotives and other railway vehicles, mineral and chemical fertilizers, mineral waters, strong drinks, glass and glass wares, and pharmaceuticals, among other things. Azerbaijani exports to Georgia include oil and petroleum products, natural gas, plastic wares, waste foodstuff, furniture and building constructions.[5]
Despite good relations in the energy sector, the Georgian-Azerbaijani border still has yet to be clarified. Especially contentious is the Georgian David Gareja monastery complex which is divided between the two countries.[6]Giorgi Manjgaladze, Georgia's deputy foreign minister proposed that Georgia would be willing to exchange other territory for the remainder of David Gareja because of its historical and cultural significance to the Georgians.[7] Baku disapproves of this land swap because of David Gareja's strategic military importance.[8] In April 2007, Azerbaijan's deputy foreign minister Khalaf Khalafov remarked that the monastery "was home to the Caucasian Albanians, who are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of Azerbaijan."[9] In response, Georgian foreign minister Gela Bezhuashvili stated that Khalafov's history lessons are "absolutely incomprehensible" and that "he should read up on world history."[6]
In their recent comments, Azeri officials confirmed that Azerbaijan "is open to implementation of joint projects with Georgia for the restoration of the complex."[7] However, official suggestions that the complex could be a "shared tourist zone" have sparked indignation from the Georgian public. Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II said that "the monastery was a holy shrine that should lie entirely on Georgian soil."[6] Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili downplayed the dispute and said that "it can be resolved through friendly dialogue."[6]
Controversies
Although Azerbaijan and Georgia managed to build friendly relations, some controversies occasionally happens. One of the controversial situations labeled as a football scandal took place during the first leg of a UEFA Europa League qualifier between local Dinamo versus Gabala in Tbilisi on July 2, 2015 and served as a serious threat to Azerbaijan–Georgia relations and led to anger among Azerbaijani population. The worst and the most serious incident occurred during the match itself when a Georgian fan group hung out a poster with the following text “We remember Zagatala and Kakh. 1921”. The poster was taken away after efforts by UEFA officials. Right after that episode, Dinamo Tbilisi management released a statement condemning the incident and distancing itself from football hooligans. The immediate reaction to the incident came from top officials as well. “Strategic relationship with the Azerbaijani government and people is very important for Georgia. As the head of the Georgian government, I resolutely state that nobody, with such provocative actions, will be allowed to cast a shadow upon relations with Azerbaijan,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said. He also called on the country's Interior Ministry to launch an investigation into the alleged incident.[10]
In 2019, tensions escalated between Azerbaijan and Georgia as the countries disputed ownership of the David Gareja monastery complex.[11]
The transport in Azerbaijan involves air traffic, waterways and railroads. All transportation services in Azerbaijan except for oil and gas pipelines are regulated by the Ministry of Transportation of Azerbaijan Republic.
Georgia is a country located in Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is part of the Caucasus region, bounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north and northeast, Turkey to the southwest, Armenia to the south, and by Azerbaijan to the southeast. The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometres (26,900 sq mi), and has a population of 3.7 million people. Tbilisi is its capital and largest city, home to roughly a third of the Georgian population.
The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is a 1,768 kilometres (1,099 mi) long crude oil pipeline from the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It connects Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and Ceyhan, a port on the south-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, via Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It is the second-longest oil pipeline in the former Soviet Union, after the Druzhba pipeline. The first oil that was pumped from the Baku end of the pipeline reached Ceyhan on 28 May 2006.
United National Movement is a liberal and pro-Western political party in Georgia founded by Mikheil Saakashvili, which rose to power following the Rose Revolution. Since the 2012 parliamentary election, it has been the main opposition party.
David Gareji is a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja on the edge of Iori Plateau, some 60–70 km southeast of Georgia's capital Tbilisi. The complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face.
For articles related to Georgia, see Category:Georgia (country)
Relations have always been strong between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the only two predominantly Turkic countries located west of the Caspian Sea. Former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev often described the two as being "one nation, two states."
Gardabani is a city of 11,650 residents (2021) in the southern Georgian region of Kvemo Kartli and is the administrative centre of the Gardabani Municipality. It is located 34 kilometres (21 mi) southeast of capital Tbilisi and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Rustavi in the Kvemo Kartli Plain at an elevation of 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. Until 1947 Gardabani was known as Karayazi and the city status was granted in 1969, after a thermal power plant was built for Tbilisi in the 1960s causing rapid growth. Since then more plower plants have been built and the city nowadays supplies almost all thermally generated electricity in the country.
The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK), or Baku–Tbilisi–Akhalkalaki–Kars railway (BTAK), is a railway connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, which became operational on 30 October 2017 following several years of delays. The project was originally due to be completed by 2010, but was delayed to 2013, 2015, 2016, and, following a fifth trilateral meeting in February 2016, foreign ministers of the three countries announced that the railway would finally be completed in 2017.
Georgian-Japanese relations were established on August 3, 1992, just over one year since Georgia became independent from the Soviet Union. Since November 2006, Georgia has maintained an embassy in Tokyo. Japan has an embassy in Tbilisi.
Russia and Azerbaijan are de facto and de jure allies in many different aspects, including military. Bilateral relations exist between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. The Embassy of Azerbaijan is located in Moscow, Russia. The Embassy of Russia is located in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Baku–Supsa Pipeline is an 833-kilometre (518 mi) long oil pipeline, which runs from the Sangachal Terminal near Baku to the Supsa terminal in Georgia. It transports oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field. The pipeline is operated by BP.
The Baku–Novorossiysk pipeline is an 1,330-kilometre (830 mi) long oil pipeline, which runs from the Sangachal Terminal near Baku to the Novorossiysk terminal at the Black Sea coast in Russia. The Azerbaijani section of the pipeline is operated by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and the Russian section is operated by Transneft.
Poylu is a village and municipality in the Agstafa Rayon of Azerbaijan. It has a population of 4,302. The municipality consists of the villages of Poylu and Şəkərli, and second village called Poylu. The place where the village is has been part of the georgian kingdom of Kartli. Between the years 1919-1920 the municipality of Poylu was part of the Democratic republic of Georgia.
Bilateral ties exist between Azerbaijan and Italy. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Rome, while Italy has an embassy in Baku. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Events in the year 2012 in Georgia.
The relationship between Azerbaijan and Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation dates back to 1992 when Azerbaijan signed Istanbul Summit Declaration and the Bosphorus Statement.
The Azerbaijan–Georgia border is the international boundary between Azerbaijan and Georgia. It is 428 km in length and runs from the tripoint with Armenia in the west to the tripoint with Russia in the east.
Georgia–Peru relations are the bilateral relations between Georgia and Peru. Both countries are members of the United Nations and of the Pacific Alliance, with Georgia being an observer of the latter.
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