Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. E.Huseynli / Assistant Secretary of State, OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew J. Bryza considers regulation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and improving of the Armenian-Turkish relations will strengthen ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey.
"I am ready to do my best to settle the Karabakh conflict and to improve the Turkish-Armenian relations. Resolution of these issues will strengthen ties between Azerbaijan and Turkey," Matthew J.Bryza said in the interview to the Turkish NTV channel.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
Armenia occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani territories and lodges territorial complaints against Turkey. Turkey is the ally and strategic partner of Azerbaijan and has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and has been closed its boundaries since 1990s. Turkey stated three conditions before Armenia for regulation of the relations, to stop territorial complaints against Turkey, to withdraw troops from the Azerbaijani occupied territories, as well as not to raise the issue concerning recognition of the Armenian genocide in 1915 and 1918 by the Ottoman Empire on the international arena.
"The US positively accepts the steps directed to improving of relations between Turkey and Armenia. It would be better if Armenia and Turkey make efforts to normalize economic and diplomatic relations," Bryza said.
"I understand the difficulty of these issues as I am the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman on regulation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh," Bryza added.