As the leading country of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan's relations with Georgia hold special significance in its policy toward neighboring countries. A characteristic feature of these relations is that Georgia plays a vital role as a transit country in delivering Azerbaijan's energy resources to European markets, as well as in transporting cargo from East to West.

Commenting on the state visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Georgia, Aqil Asadov, Head of Department at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), believes that certain aspects of Azerbaijan-Georgia relations deserve special emphasis. First, with 3.7 billion USD invested in Georgia, Azerbaijan is one of the largest investors in the country, and it was noted during the meeting of the heads of state that new projects will also be implemented between the two countries. This signifies that relations will continue to develop on an upward trajectory. Furthermore, Azerbaijan and Georgia have consistently recognized and supported each other's territorial integrity. President Ilham Aliyev re-emphasized this fact during his state visit to Georgia, stating that the two nations always support one another in all international organizations.

According to the department head, while relations with Georgia are multifaceted, economic indicators also express dynamism and potential. Based on 2025 data, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia amounted to approximately one billion USD. In January-February 2026, the trade turnover reached 176.6 million USD, representing an 18.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025. During the reviewed period, exports from Azerbaijan to Georgia totaled 158.3 million USD, which is 21.6% higher than the previous year. Notably, 77.2 million USD of these exports consisted of non-oil products, marking a 45.8% increase compared to last year. In January-February, products worth 18.3 million USD were imported from Georgia to Azerbaijan, and the neighboring country stands as Azerbaijan's 5th largest trading partner.

Aqil Asadov stated that Azerbaijan-Georgia relations are multifaceted and strategic in nature. Political stability, economic cooperation, energy projects, and humanitarian ties constitute the main directions of these relations. Both countries contribute to ensuring peace, stability, and development in the region. It is inevitable that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia will expand further and new projects will be implemented in the future. Naturally, this will positively impact the development of not only the two countries but the entire South Caucasus region.

Azerbaijan and Georgia have always struggled to protect their national interests. For this reason, global powers often target Azerbaijan and Georgia to realize their interests in the region—unlike Armenia, which lacks an independent position. Despite this, Azerbaijan remains one of the largest investors in the Georgian economy. Giant projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and the "Southern Gas Corridor" unite our countries, serving the interests of both nations and the development of the region. Today, Azerbaijan exports gas to 16 countries, and all of this begins through Georgia.

In 2024, increasing the annual capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line from 1 million tons to 5 million tons further expanded the possibilities for transporting transit cargo through Azerbaijan. This also allows Georgia to actively participate in the Middle Corridor project. As President Ilham Aliyev noted: "The Middle Corridor passes through the territory of Azerbaijan and Georgia, and it is our main transport artery. Additional efforts are being and will be made to expand this."

Azerbaijan's rich energy resources and Georgia's favorable geographical location turn these two countries into vital partners in the international energy market. Georgia acts as a transit country in bringing Azerbaijan's energy resources to the world market. While this brings additional income to Georgia's economy, it also increases its geopolitical importance. At the same time, this cooperation holds strategic importance for the European Union and other international organizations. Azerbaijani gas plays a crucial role in ensuring Europe's energy security, and the transportation of this gas is carried out through Georgia.

Aqil Asadov noted that nearly 300,000 Azerbaijanis live in Georgia, and our compatriots play an important role in shaping the relations between the İİİ countries. From this perspective, close ties also exist in the humanitarian and cultural fields. The Azerbaijani community living in Georgia and the Georgian community living in Azerbaijan play a major role in strengthening friendly relations between the peoples. Cooperation in education, culture, and tourism expands year by year. Student exchange programs, joint cultural events, and festivals further increase mutual understanding between the two nations. As the head of state emphasized: "...today the South Caucasus is already turning into a space of peace, tranquility, security, and cooperation." This will stimulate faster and larger-scale development, where humanitarian ties act as an important factor complementing political and economic relations.