Azerbaijan-Georgia 07.04.2026 Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Tbilisi: meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, key points and reactions Tbilisi Share Share On 6 April, Azerbaijan ’s President Ilham Aliyev visited Georgia . He held meetings with President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and also met Bidzina Ivanishvili — the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the country’s de facto leader — at his “Glass Palace”. Aliyev: Georgia and Azerbaijan consider joint investment in third countries ‘Regional security and peace’: Georgia’s prime minister meets Azerbaijan’s president According to official information, the main aim of Ilham Aliyev ’s visit was to deepen the strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan, particularly in energy, transit and regional security.
Beyond the formal meetings with Kobakhidze and Kavelashvili, the key intrigue of the visit was Aliyev’s meeting with Ivanishvili. Little is known about the talks beyond what was released by a government-aligned outlet — silent footage from the “Glass Palace” and a brief, formal statement. Aliyev’s visit and his meeting with Ivanishvili have raised a number of questions among opponents of Georgian Dream and political observers.
The central question is what the country’s informal leader is seeking to achieve through the Azerbaijani president. Context A day and a half before Aliyev’s visit, Azerbaijani dissident journalist Afgan Sadygov was urgently expelled from Georgia. He was detained late at night on charges of insulting a police officer on social media.
A court hearing was held around midnight. He was fined and deported. The entire process took just a few hours, and by dawn the journalist was already in Baku.
His lawyer and Georgian human rights defenders fear he could face arrest — or even be killed — there. Georgia expels Azerbaijani opposition journalist: timeline and questions over Afgan Sadygov’s case Officially, his expulsion was linked to insulting a police officer on social media, but the speed of the process and the broader context cast doubt on this explanation A day before Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Georgia, his former son-in-law — singer and businessman Emin Agalarov — also arrived in the country on a private jet. In a video Agalarov posted on Instagram, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son, Bera Ivanishvili, can be seen meeting him at the airport.
Notably, Georgian media knew almost nothing about Aliyev’s visit until the last moment. It became clear only after Azerbaijani flags appeared on central streets in Tbilisi, while the government administration released official information only on the morning of 6 April. Over the past year and a half, as Georgian Dream has faced a legitimacy crisis, Azerbaijan has remained one of the few countries with which Georgia has maintained intensive relations.
Aliyev has repeatedly hosted Georgian delegations in Baku, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, President Mikheil Kavelashvili and members of the cabinet. Trump Route: Western illusion or turning point in South Caucasus? Journalists from Armenia and Azerbaijan have produced detailed reports on the topic, incorporating official perspectives, expert analyses, and the views of local residents.
Delegations from Azerbaijan also visit Georgia frequently at ministerial level. Georgia’s foreign minister meets Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Georgia, Faig Guliyev, at least two or three times a month. In most cases, Georgian authorities publish photos highlighting meetings specifically with Azerbaijani delegations, including during visits to Europe as part of various international events.
President Aliyev himself last visited Georgia three years ago, in October 2023, when he met then prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is now serving a prison sentence on corruption charges. What was discussed. Key issues Aliyev’s meeting with Mikheil Kavelashvili was largely ceremonial.
Kavelashvili received him at the presidential palace to the sound of the Georgian and Azerbaijani national anthems. The main official talks during the visit took place with Prime Minister Kobakhidze and members of the government. These meetings were closed to the press, and the statements issued afterwards were highly general in nature.
“Tbilisi is testing Baku’s patience” – pro-government Azerbaijani media sharply criticize Georgia Minval: “Baku is ready to supply Armenia with Azerbaijani oil products. The only route is through Georgia — but Tbilisi has inflated the transit price 40-fold” At the joint briefing held by Aliyev and Kobakhidze after their meeting, no journalists were present. As a result, the substance of the talks is known only from official statements.
According to these, the sides discussed bilateral cooperation, strategic partnership, economic and energy ties, investment and regional security. They also mentioned the “Middle Corridor” and developments in the Middle East. However, it remains unclear what exactly was meant by the Middle East or whether current events in Iran were discussed.
Kobakhidze also gave no specific details about the “Middle Corridor”, relations with its main initiator — the United States — currently strained for Georgia. The sides also noted the potential for joint projects both in Georgia and in third countries. “Today we discussed new opportunities and new projects in both Azerbaijan and Georgia.
We may also consider joint investments in third countries,” Aliyev said. Irakli Kobakhidze described Aliyev as a “dear friend of Georgia”, thanked him for the visit, and said he welcomed the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as “new initiatives”, expressing readiness to support dialogue. Aliyev, in turn, offered a number of compliments.
“Georgia is developing dynamically, and its economic growth is clearly visible. You have created a very favourable investment climate in the country, and excellent conditions exist for many foreign investors, including Azerbaijani ones, to contribute fu
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