Aliyev visits Georgia day after deportation of independent Azerbaijani journalist Sadigov
A state visit by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has begun in Georgia. The trip comes a day after the independent Aliyev-critical journalist Afgan Sadigov was deported from Georgia to Azerbaijan following a Tbilisi City Court ruling.
Aliyev and his wife, Azerbaijani Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, arrived on Monday morning at Tbilisi International Airport, where he was received by Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili.
As part of the visit, Aliyev held his first meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili at the Presidential Palace in central Tbilisi. It was followed by another meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, both in one-on-one and expanded formats.
During a joint briefing, Aliyev congratulated Kobakhidze and the Georgian government on their ‘success’, noting that ‘Georgia is developing dynamically, and its economic growth is very visible’.
He said that ‘new opportunities and new investment projects, both in Azerbaijan and in Georgia’ were discussed during the meeting, adding that ‘we may consider joint investments in third countries as well’.
According to Aliyev, the two discussed the ‘new reality’ in the South Caucasus. He stressed that ‘the countries of this region should remain focused on peace, stability, and security, especially at a time when these principles are being undermined in different parts of the world’.
‘We began dialogue with Armenia through Georgia’s mediation, and I am grateful to the Georgian government for this facilitation, he added, he said, according to the simultaneous interpretation.
Speaking about energy, Aliyev highlighted that Georgia was the first country along the route through which Azerbaijani natural gas is transported for export to 16 countries.
‘The Middle Corridor will pass through Azerbaijan and Georgia. For us, this is one of the most important arteries, and we place great hopes on its strengthening and development’, he added.
Aliyev also underlined that both countries supported each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the inviolability of borders ‘in all international organisations’.
‘This has always been the case and will remain so in the future’, he noted.
For his part, Kobakhidze stated that the meeting reaffirmed readiness ‘to continue high-level dialogue and to further deepen cooperation across various fields’.
‘We are observing global political processes, and these changes further increase the importance of the Middle Corridor, including the significance of the Black Sea and the South Caucasus as a strategic space’, he said.
According to Kobakhidze, the meeting also addressed issues related ‘both to bilateral relations and to the future of the South Caucasus as a whole’.
Referring to trade and economic cooperation as one of the topics discussed, Kobakhidze expressed satisfaction that ‘Azerbaijan remains one of Georgia’s largest trading partners’.
‘We expect that these relations — our trade and economic ties — will deepen further, including through increased investment cooperation’, he added.
The delegation accompanying Aliyev includes Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and presidential foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev, as well as Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, and Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev.
An independent journalist deported
News of Aliyev’s visit emerged in Georgian media on Sunday, just hours after a Georgian court ordered Sadigov’s deportation from the country. The ruling came despite Sadigov being under an international protection order blocking his extradition to Azerbaijan over human rights concerns.
The trial was preceded by Sadigov’s surprise arrest several hours earlier for ‘insulting’ Georgian police online. This was cited as the official reason for his deportation.
Azerbaijan has sought Sadigov’s extradition from Georgia for nearly two years, reportedly accusing him of fraud or extortion. In 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) enacted interim measures barring his extradition until they could hear his case. As a result, Sadigov was released from Tbilisi pre-extradition in Tbilisi in April 2025, but, according to his lawyers, on bail with a travel ban.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
After his release, Sadigov continued his sharp criticism of both the Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities, frequently attending anti-government protests in Tbilisi and expressing solidarity with detained dissenters in both countries.
As reports of Aliyev’s visit surfaced, some linked it to Sadigov’s deportation.
‘Now I guess we all understand why Afgan Sadigov was deported so hastily’, Tamta Mikeladze, the director of the Tbilisi-based Social Justice Center (SJC), which represented Sadigov, wrote on Facebook.
‘A gift was presented to the Sultan by vassals, and the prisoner was handed over’, she added, comparing Aliyev’s total power in Azerbaijan to that of a sultan.
Critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party described Sadigov’s deportation as a violation of the ECHR decision. In turn, the Interior Ministry seemed to suggest the opposite, claiming that ‘human rights and freedoms are fully protected in Georgia’.
Editor’s note: this article was updated to include remarks by Aliyev and Kobakhidze.
