ISTANBUL

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov met his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Chikovani, in Ankara on Thursday to discuss strengthening military cooperation and expanding joint exercises.

The meeting took place during Hasanov’s visit to Türkiye to attend the 12th trilateral meeting of the defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye.

The ministers underlined that military cooperation between Baku and Tbilisi contributes to peace, stability and security in the region, stressing the key role of regular high-level meetings in deepening ties, according to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.

They noted that enhancing cooperation through trilateral and bilateral formats is vital for ensuring sustainable peace and prosperity across the region.

The ministers also discussed new prospects for defense partnership, emphasizing the importance of intensifying joint exercises to facilitate experience exchange and strengthen interoperability between the two armed forces.

Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye established the trilateral defense mechanism in 2012 to bolster regional security, coordination and defense cooperation.​​​​​​​