FM DAVUTOGLU SAYS AZERBAIJAN’S STABILITY HIGHLY IMPORTANT FOR TURKEY
Hurriyet
May 26 2009
Turkey
BAKU – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Tuesday
Azerbaijan’s stability, well-being, future and territorial integrity
is highly important for Turkey.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku, Davutoglu said that a strong Azerbaijan
implies a strong Turkey.
"Our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters should know that, just as in
the past, Turkey will be on the side of Azerbaijan in the future,"
Davutoglu said.
"Our message to regional actors, including Armenia, is very clear. The
region must be free of occupations and tensions," Davutoglu noted.
The issue of Upper Karabakh, a region under Armenian occupation, must
be resolved as soon as possible within the framework of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity, Davutoglu stressed.
"Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are excellent. Turkey
and Azerbaijan are not merely friends and neighbors. They are also
strategic partners," Davutoglu said.
Minister Mammadyarov, for his part, said that Davutoglu and he
discussed bilateral issues.
"Our relations are excellent and we are confident that such relations
will develop further," Mammadyarov said.
"During our talks today, we discussed issues such as Karabakh, energy,
economy, culture and cooperation in other fields. The trade volume
between Turkey and Azerbaijan is worth more than $2 billion but we
are not satisfied with this number," Mammadyarov said.
Davutoglu also met with the Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade
on Tuesday. Davutoglu’s meeting with Rasizade was closed to the press.