RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN ARE AT HIGH LEVEL: AZERBAIJANI FM
Trend
Dec 25 2009
Azerbaijan
The Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are at high level, said Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov during a joint press conference
in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish TRT
2 television channel reported.
According to him, Turkey consistently informs Azerbaijan of the
events in the region, and relations between Baku and Ankara are always
discussed openly. According to the Foreign Minister, the meeting with
Davutoglu focused on regional issues, the occupation of Azerbaijani
territories by Armenia, trade and economic relations between the
two countries.
According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, continued occupation
of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia prevents the development of
the region.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly’s resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied
territories.
In his turn, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu added that
Ankara supports prompt settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
and they will not allow differences in relations between Azerbaijan
and Turkey.
"We do not create conditions for the deterioration of relations
[of Azerbaijan and Turkey], we have close diplomatic relations with
Azerbaijan, and the cooling is unacceptable," said Davutoglu.