Georgian Side Deepens Military Cooperation with Armenia's Adversaries, Says MP

Armenian expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan wrote on her Facebook page: 'The Georgian side came to Yerevan with specific proposals, as noted by the Prime Minister of Georgia. Prior to that, Garibashvili was in Baku with his mediation proposals, and simultaneously, the defense ministers of Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan signed a cooperation agreement in Georgia. Ultimately, what does the Georgian proposal entail, how was it formed, and to what extent does it align with our state and security interests?

The Georgian initiative presents a 'format' proposal, which, as mentioned, does not agree with the '3+3' format—likely due to the Russian factor—but also does not want to be excluded from regional processes by creating a '3+2' format. In this context, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili proposed the creation of a 'Peaceful Neighborhood Initiative' at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the Black Sea region. The Prime Minister announced that Tbilisi is ready to host the first meeting within the framework of this peace initiative.

Subsequently, Garibashvili stated that Georgia is initiating the establishment of a platform for high-level contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides in Tbilisi. On the eve of Garibashvili's visit to Baku on September 29, hopes were expressed that it would contribute to the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. Days after the discussions in Baku between Garibashvili and Aliyev about the 'importance of regional transformation,' the defense ministers of Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan signed a cooperation agreement in Georgia.

'The strategic cooperation of the three countries is based on mutual trust and is of great significance for regional security, the well-being of our peoples, and the enhancement of our combat readiness,' noted the Georgian Minister of Defense. Notably, the defense ministers of the three countries were also observing the trilateral Eternity 2021 military exercises held from October 4 to 8 in Georgia.

Thus, in the context of regional transformations, the Georgian side, eager to conduct a mediation mission, is deepening military cooperation with Armenia's adversaries. This is a telling fact regarding the Georgian side's mediation proposal.'