President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, who arrived in Georgia late on Monday afternoon, said that that regional energy and transportation projects will be the focus of a summit with his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts in Tbilisi on May 6.
 
Speaking with journalists before departure to Tbilisi, President Gül said that Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is currently under construction to connect Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia, and the planned Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project are of “strategic importance”, which will contribute to peace and stability in the region.

He said that other “regional and global” issues will also be addressed during the high-level tripartite summit.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will arrive in Tbilisi on Tuesday morning to participate in the summit.

Economic forum with participation of business representatives is also scheduled; the Turkish President will address the forum.

President Gül also said that the summit will mark the new format of cooperation on the level of presidents, which was preceded by meetings of foreign ministers of the three countries.

The most recent meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey was held in Azerbaijani city of Ganja in February, 2014, which was the third such trilateral ministerial since 2012 when the format was launched in Trabzon; the second such meeting was held in Georgia’s Black Sea town of Batumi in March, 2013.

In Tbilisi the Turkish President will also hold bilateral talks with the Georgian leadership before wrapping up his visit on May 7.

President Gül is accompanied by minister of transport and communication Lütfi Elvan; minister of labor and social security Faruk Çelik. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and minister of energy and natural resources Taner Yildiz are expected to join the delegation in Tbilisi later.

President Gül said that “all aspects” of bilateral relations will be discussed during his talks with the Georgian officials.

On Monday evening Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and his Turkish counterpart took a walk in downtown Tbilisi on Rustaveli Avenue down to Freedom Square and Europe Square.