Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 10
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
The Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia trilateral format can be effective for settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Turkish president’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin in his interview with A Haber TV channel.
Kalin said Russia too welcomes the creation of such a format of cooperation.
Currently, a positive situation is being observed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement, he noted.
“If Armenia withdraws from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the process will be accelerated,” added Kalin.
He also said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement will also contribute to the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.
“If the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is resolved, it is more likely to be beneficial for Armenia, which will be able to normalize relations with Turkey,” he noted.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Aug. 10 that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be discussed within the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia trilateral format.
Cavusoglu noted that the trilateral format will be beneficial for all parties.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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