TURKISH AND AZERI FMS DISCUSSED THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
24.06.2009 01:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey met
in Ýstanbul for an unofficial meeting, during which they reaffirmed
the neighboring countries’ understanding of "one nation, two states."

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu and his Azerbaijani
counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, were together for a one-and-a-half-hour
dinner.

"We have reviewed all developments in the region with the understanding
of ‘one nation, two states,’ as we have always done. We have together
discussed the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the
recent period, the other developments in the region and, in addition,
the developments in our bilateral relations, which are proceeding
extremely well. This was not an officially planned meeting," Davutoðlu
responded to questions from reporters following the dinner.

After decades of hostility, Turkey and Armenia announced in April a
"roadmap" for re-establishing diplomatic relations and opening their
shared border. But Ankara’s ally Azerbaijan said Armenia should first
leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic Armenian enclave that broke
away after fighting a bloody war with Azerbaijan in the 1990s and
claims independence. Turkey then offered support for the Azerbaijani
position, complicating further progress in talks with Armenia,
turkishny.com reports.

Davutoðlu was reminded of remarks by his Armenian counterpart, Edward
Nalbandian, who had said Yerevan expects Ankara to take new steps
for the normalization of bilateral ties and was asked to elaborate
on those possible steps.

"I have always said, ‘Steps are steps that should be taken
mutually.’ As Turkey, our eventual goal is maintaining permanent
stability, peace and welfare in the region. This doesn’t take place via
unilateral steps. All parties should take steps with goodwill. Turkey
has shown in the past that it will take steps with goodwill toward
the entire region. But permanent peace can be maintained in case of
mutually taking these steps. Indeed, we have dealt with these issues,"
Davutoðlu replied.

Mammadyarov, who described his meeting with Davutoðlu as "very
important and good," was asked about the current phase of negotiations
between Baku and Yerevan.

Mammadyarov said negotiations were "still under way".