Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 10
By Orkhan Guluzade – Trend:
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be discussed within the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia trilateral format, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, TRT Haber news channel reported Aug. 10.
He said the trilateral format would be beneficial to all parties.
“We discussed this format during the meetings in Azerbaijan,” Cavusoglu said. “Azerbaijan positively appreciated the trilateral format with Russia. This initiative was also announced during the meeting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia also praised this mechanism. We may cooperate in political, economic, transport and energy sectors.”
On Aug. 9, Erdogan said Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia may create a trilateral mechanism of cooperation.
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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