Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 5 / Trend R.Hafizoglu /
France must be active in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bagis said, media reported on Wednesday.
France can restore talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and this, in turn, can have an impact on the Armenian-Turkish relations, Bagis said.
"Twenty percent of Azerbaijani lands is occupied. Such situation threatens stability in the region," Bagis said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.