Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Turkey will further stand by Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Kashmir problem, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Pakistani counterparts, Elmar Mammadyarov and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in Baku on Nov. 30.
Speaking about the meeting with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Igor Popov (Russia), Andrew Schofer (US), Stephane Visconti of France, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk in Ankara, Cavusoglu noted that during the meeting, the Turkish side called on them to be more active, more sincere and more resolute in the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement.
“Turkey is making efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkey will support any formula suiting Azerbaijan in this issue,” added the foreign minister.
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.