Caucasus security is inseparable from security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia: Guler

Türkiye’s national defence minister has said that the security of the Caucasus cannot be considered separately from the security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia, stressing the importance of trilateral cooperation for regional peace and stability.Expressing pleasure at being in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha, which he called the heart of the country’s culture, for a trilateral defence ministers' meeting, Yasar Guler said on Friday that Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia are three friendly neighbouring countries connected by a shared history and geography, mutual trust, and strong bonds of friendship.He said the strong ties among the three have evolved into increasingly deep and multidimensional strategic cooperation, while the South Caucasus is undergoing a significant transformation.Noting that Türkiye welcomes recent developments towards establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Guler said: "We believe this new era will create new opportunities for cooperation in the South Caucasus through the joint efforts of the countries in the region.”“Here, Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia cooperation is of particular importance," he said.Guler said existing energy, transportation and communication projects among the three countries contribute not only to economic development but also to regional security and stability."Ensuring the security of these projects is the shared responsibility of our countries," he said.‘Strong support’Guler said joint military exercises, training and exchanges of experience among the three countries' armed forces are practical reflections of this responsibility."The security of the Caucasus cannot be considered separately from the security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia," he said."With this understanding, I would like to once again express our strong support for the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan,” he said, adding: “In the coming days we are ready to further advance the existing trust and solidarity among our three countries in a way that serves peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Caucasus."While in Shusha, Guler also held separate bilateral meetings with Azerbaijani Defence Minister General Zakir Hasanov and Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani.According to the Turkish National Defence Ministry, Guler and Hasanov met ahead of the trilateral gathering.Guler also met Chikovani as part of his visit to Shusha for the trilateral defence ministers' meeting.