Turkey hopes the OSCE Minsk Group will soon help to solve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict which will lead to stability and security in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davudoglu said at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Vesti TV channel reported.
"We are closely following the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, and hope that it will help to solve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict," Davudoglu said.
He added that Turkey together with Russia will seek to establish peace and stability in the Caucasus, which is a region of the Russian-Turkish interests, so the parties are considering the possibility of implementing the Caucasus Peace & Stability Platform, initiated by Turkey.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the peace negotiations.
"Today we have more opportunities to consider the issues in the Caucasus and Middle East," Davudoglu said.
Russia and Turkey in mid-September 2008, launched a plan to create a "Platform of security and stability in the Caucasus", which is the most rapid resolution of territorial conflicts in the region.
In mid-September 2008, Russia and Turkey launched a plan to create the "Caucasus Security & Stability Platform" which aims to quickly solve the territorial conflicts in the region.