Kayseri hosts trilateral meeting of South Caucasus nations’ defense chiefs

On December 21, a trilateral meeting between the defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Georgia was held in Turkiye's Kayseri.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov, National Defense Minister of Turkiye Hulusi Akar, and Minister of Defense of Georgia Juansher Burchuladze talked about the current regional military-political situation, potential directions for trilateral military cooperation, bilateral and trilateral drills, and security concerns for regional projects.

"Armenia should shake the hand of peace held out by Azerbaijan and Turkiye," Hulusi Akar said.

He noted that the officials talked about the potential for cooperation and developments in the South Caucasus.

"It's important for us to further continue the strategic ties between our countries. This cooperation serves as an example for the whole world," Akar added.

The Azerbaijani, Turkiye, and Georgian defense ministers signed the tripartite meeting's final statement.

Later, a press conference was held for the media representatives.

On December 20, Zakir Hasanov and Hulusi Akar met with crew members of Turkiye's cargo planes that remained in Ukraine for 10 months due to the Russian war.

"Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar, who was in Kayseri for the Turkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia Defense Ministers' Meeting, met with our aircraft personnel returning from Ukraine and their families. Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Gen Zakir Hasanov accompanied him," the Turkish Defense Ministry tweeted.

The latest trilateral meeting between the countries' defense ministers was on October 5, 2021. During the meeting, the defense ministers discussed the current military-political situation, the development of military cooperation in the trilateral format, as well as the issue of ensuring the security of regional projects in the region.