Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that it is in the interests of all countries to increase the route Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and use Georgian ports for cargo from Central Asia to Europe and vice versa, News-Georgia reports.

Speaking at a press conference today after a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Aliyev said that cargo turnover between Georgia and Azerbaijan has increased by 75%.

"I must say that the railway transport - Baku-Tbilisi-Kars can be used to load five million tons, next year we will make more capital investments in this direction. We are going to use this route to transport cargo to Europe via the Caspian Sea, through Azerbaijan and Georgia, and develop new routes," Aliyev said.

According to the Azerbaijani President, "a new reality is being created, and we should be ready for it."

He also said that "additional investments will be made in the Baku International Sea Port".

"We must closely cooperate with Georgia in the transport direction, because it must be a consolidated, joint effort. We have to develop relations with our neighbors in order to develop transport capacities, otherwise we cannot be a reliable transit country. We have a friend, a neighbor and a partner country in Georgia", said the President of Azerbaijan.

Aliyev noted that "the demand for energy in the world is growing," and Georgia and Azerbaijan are "represented on the same front."

"We will work together to ensure that our national interests, the interests of the brotherly people are built on such a relationship, to create such an important relationship that will benefit the world. This is based on our friendship with the support of our peoples, our countries and the leaders of our countries," Ilham Aliyev said.