Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia said it is the first real opportunity to speak about regional cooperation in the South Caucasus, addressing the Yerevan Dialogue forum.
He noted that “we have waited 35 years for this moment,” according to Factor.am .
“When we talk about the South Caucasus and connectivity, I first want to focus on the region itself. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have been independent states for more than three decades. This region has gone through many tragedies—conflicts, refugees, internally displaced persons, and economic turmoil. As a result, we are still on the path of development,” he said.
According to Darsalia, the region was previously viewed only as a geographical concept, whereas now it is beginning to take shape as a real political and economic unit.
“This is very important for Georgia. It was not granted to us—we have not even fully achieved it yet; we are still on the road. For Georgia, regional cooperation is crucial. The South Caucasus is very important for us. For the first time, we can say that we have waited 35 years for this opportunity to speak about cooperation as a region, not just bilaterally.
Bilateral relations alone are not sufficient to make the region attractive externally. If we develop proper regional connectivity, the South Caucasus can become an attractive hub for international investment and trade, and for broader economic mobility. This is our main message. Our motivation is strong, and we are highly interested in advancing this cooperation further,” he said.
Darsalia added that Georgia has already contributed significantly to these efforts and expects the South Caucasus to become an attractive hub for international trade, investment, and economic activity.
Earlier, Turkey’s special envoy for normalization with Armenia, Serdar Kilic, who is also attending the forum, said the timeline for opening the Armenia–Turkey border has not yet been discussed.
