Georgian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to visit Azerbaijan this week amid internal tensions

This week Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili will visit Azerbaijan amid political tensions in the country sparked by the Government’s decision last year to halt EU accession talks until 2028 and allegations of electoral fraud.

Foreign Minister Botchorishvili begins her official visit to Baku on Thursday, marking her first trip to Azerbaijan in this capacity.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, she will meet with her Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, for both one-on-one and expanded format talks. A joint press conference is scheduled following their discussions.

As part of her visit, Botchorishvili will also honor Azerbaijan’s fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the Eternal Flame Memorial in the Alley of Martyrs.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze will travel to Azerbaijan on Friday. His visit, initially announced by Georgian Dream MP Givi Mikanadze in December 2024 and confirmed by the government on January 15, will include a meeting of the joint economic commission between the two countries.

The commission is expected to discuss plans for new collaborative projects in 2025, with a focus on maritime cargo transportation and infrastructure development. Mikanadze has underscored the importance of the Anaklia deep-sea port project, which he described as vital for boosting Georgia’s capacity to handle larger cargo ships and expanding trade potential.