Azerbaijan Business Center, Azerbaijan
Sept 5 2008

Azerbaijan supports Turkey’s initiatives for security on Caucasus

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan supports the platform of security and
cooperation suggested by Turkey for Caucasus.

Azerbaijan Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov said
last week he discussed this matter with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

`I told there that Azerbaijan supports the talks between the region`s
countries concerning a suggestion to form a Caucasian Union and peace
and stability must be ensured in the region as soon as possible.,’
E.Mammadyarov said.

The consultations of the interested countries are ongoing and the
issue was recently discussed in Ankara by the heads of Ministries of
Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Russia.

`We will continue consultations with Russia, Georgia and others. It is
early to talk about what kind of organization it will be and we have
to continue consultations,’ E.Mammadyarov said.

At the same time Azerbaijan is not going to pay attention to Turkish
President Abdullah Gul’s decision to visit Yerevan.

`That is Turkey’s business and for Turkish President to
decide. Azerbaijan can not discuss these questions as it is an
internal issue of Turkey,’ E.Mammadyarov said to journalists on
Thursday.

Abdullah Gul accepted the invitation of Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan to visit Armenia on September 6 to watch the football match
between Armenian and Turkish teams. That will be the first visit of
the Turkish President to Armenia for the last years as Turkey has no
diplomatic relations with Armenia because the country occupied
Azerbaijani lands and requires to recognize so-called `Armenian
genocide’ during the Ottoman Empire in 1915.