The Azerbaijani leader’s remarks following talks with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze set the tone for the broader agenda. The emphasis was placed on Georgia’s political stability as the foundation of its economic success. This assessment is of fundamental importance. At a time when many states are facing turbulence, stability itself becomes a key competitive advantage. According to Aliyev, it is precisely this stability that underpins the positive investment climate, attracting, among other things, Azerbaijani capital into Georgia.
Today, Azerbaijan and Georgia demonstrate a model of relations that goes far beyond traditional neighbourly ties. It is an alliance in which not only interests align, but also a shared strategic vision of the future. Mutual support for sovereignty and territorial integrity, highlighted by the Azerbaijani president, has long ceased to be a mere diplomatic formula and has instead become a practical framework for cooperation on international platforms.
Economic indicators further reinforce this trajectory. By the end of last year, trade turnover between the two countries exceeded $800 million, and in the first quarter of the current year, growth has remained strong. If this momentum continues, the threshold of $1 billion is well within reach by year’s end. Behind these figures lies not only trade, but also a significant investment presence: to date, Azerbaijan has invested $3.7 billion in Georgia’s economy.
Source: AzerTAG
Additional data further strengthens this picture. In 2025 alone, Azerbaijani investments in the neighbouring country amounted to $143.9 million, representing 8.5 per cent of all foreign direct investment in Georgia. The total volume of Azerbaijani investments has exceeded $3.1 billion, while the number of companies with Azerbaijani capital has reached 1,660. At the same time, Georgian investments in Azerbaijan have grown 2.6 times, reaching $91.3 million. This is no longer just economic interaction, but the formation of a shared investment space.
However, the cornerstone of this partnership remains energy. For many years, Azerbaijan has strengthened the energy security of a vast geographical area, exporting gas to 16 countries. It is particularly significant that this export begins with Georgia, which serves as the first and key transit link.
A symbol of this interconnection is the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, which has been successfully operating for 20 years. Later, the Southern Gas Corridor system was established, significantly expanding the region’s export capabilities. In 2025, Azerbaijani gas supplies to Georgia amounted to 2.3 billion cubic metres, valued at $250.3 million. Not only Azerbaijani resources pass through the territories of the two countries, but also energy resources from the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea heading to global markets.
Transport projects have logically followed energy integration. The Middle Corridor is now becoming a key artery between East and West, with Azerbaijan and Georgia forming its backbone.
The figures here are equally telling. In 2025, container transportation through Azerbaijan increased by 19 per cent, reaching 135,000 TEU, while transit rose by 20 per cent to 66,300 TEU. More than 390 container block trains operated along the China–Europe route. On the Georgian side, transit accounted for nearly 58 per cent of the country’s total railway freight turnover. Azerbaijan ranked first among sources of railway imports into Georgia, accounting for 32 per cent in the third quarter, compared to half that level at the beginning of the year.
Equally important are qualitative improvements. As a result of digitalisation agreed upon by the railway administrations of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan in October 2025, transit cargo processing time has been reduced from 8–9 hours to just 40 minutes. For global logistics, this means one thing: the corridor has become significantly more competitive.
Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that the intensity of political contacts has increased sharply. Following parliamentary elections in Georgia in autumn 2024 and the formation of a government led by Irakli Kobakhidze, bilateral interaction has noticeably accelerated. Already on January 17, 2025, the Georgian prime minister made his first foreign visit to Azerbaijan, clearly signalling the priorities of his foreign policy.
Since then, dialogue has become almost continuous. Meetings take place both at the highest level and within sectoral ministries. In February 2026, issues of maritime transport and connectivity were discussed, Georgia joined the Eurasian Transport Route international association, and concrete integration mechanisms were already being examined at a trilateral business forum involving Türkiye.
Particular attention should be given to new energy initiatives. The Black Sea Energy project, involving a 1,195-kilometre underwater cable across the Black Sea, is designed to export 4 gigawatts of green energy. Its estimated cost stands at €3.5 billion, with the European Commission planning to allocate €2.3 billion for its implementation. In December 2025, the project was granted PMI status, meaning Project of Mutual Interest. Within this architecture, Georgia is not merely a transit territory, but a full participant and beneficiary.
All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of global changes in logistics. Since 2022, traditional routes have faced serious constraints. The northern route has become problematic for Western businesses, while the southern route through Iran remains limited by sanctions. Under these conditions, the Middle Corridor has evolved from an alternative into a near indispensable route.
Source: Trend
It is no coincidence that over the past three years, cargo volumes transported through Azerbaijan have increased by nearly 90 per cent. By 2030, plans are in place to triple the corridor’s capacity and halve transit times. Georgia, for its part, aims to complete key infrastructure segments of the route by 2026.
In this context, Ilham Aliyev’s statement that the South Caucasus is becoming a space of peace, stability, and cooperation no longer sounds like political rhetoric, but rather reflects an emerging reality. Even sensitive issues, such as trade between Azerbaijan and Armenia, are beginning to find practical solutions, including through Georgian territory.
The outcome of the visit to Tbilisi is clear: Baku and Tbilisi are not only maintaining a high level of cooperation, but are systematically deepening it, transforming geography into strategy and strategy into tangible economic results.
In a world where many are still discussing new routes and energy alliances, Azerbaijan and Georgia are already acting. This is precisely why their partnership is becoming one of the key pillars of stability and development across the entire region.
By Tural Heybatov
