The defense ministries of Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan held a joint news conference, reported Georgia Online news agency.

“The choice of Armenia conditions the level of our cooperation with Armenia: friendly, [but] without strategic cooperation,” said Tinatin “Tina” Khidasheli, the Minister of Defense of Georgia.

In her words, Georgia seeks Euro-Atlantic integration, whereas there is no such thing with respect to Armenia, which has joined the Eurasian Economic Union—which also comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

“Azerbaijan and Turkey are strategic partners of Georgia,” Khidasheli stated. “Now, the most important [thing] for Georgia is regional peace (…). We work with Armenia, it is our neighbor, and there will be no problems between us.”

In the Georgian defense  minister’s words, there is a quite large Armenian community in Georgia, and that is why relations with Armenia are just as important for Georgia as its relations with Azerbaijan.

“We are working for peace; this is the only path which we see the future,” Tina Khidasheli added. “To this end, we are ready to cooperate with everyone, including Russia.”