Georgia has invited Azerbaijan and Turkey to cooperate in programs and projects conducted in Georgia with NATO's assistance at a trilateral meeting of the defense ministers in the Azerbaijani city of Gabala.

"It was the question of holding trilateral exercises. Georgia expressed a wish to host several exercises of the kind in 2017, especially given the opportunities provided by cooperation with NATO. I think we can offer a worthy partnership to the Turkish side in organizing top-notch exercises. Consent was given, so we will be preparing for spring 2017," the Georgian Defense Ministry press service quoted Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli as saying.

According to Khidasheli, the trilateral meeting focused on a memorandum on mutual understanding to be concluded among the three sides.

The ministers agreed to hold their next trilateral meeting in Batumi in summer of this year, she said.