Azernews.Az

BAKU – The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan met for an informal meeting in the Turkish town of Bodrum on Friday.

The talks among Elmar Mammadyarov, Ahmet Davutoglu, Kanat Saudabayev and Ruslan Kazakbaev focused on Central Asia and energy issues, as well as the situation that emerged in the region after the change of power in Kyrgyzstan.

Turkey’s Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference that the meeting proceeded in a casual and "brotherly and family" environment. He further stressed the importance of the meeting.

"The Turkic World Council was established in Nakhchivan [Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic] in October last year," Davutoglu said. "At the time we decided that in addition to official meetings, we would come closer together for familial and fraternal gatherings. We have now held the first of the fraternal and familial meetings in Bodrum."

Davutoglu said the parties passed a decision to turn such meetings into a tradition. "We will continue these meetings in Azerbaijan on the Caspian coast, Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan or in a nice city near Almaty."

Davutoglu expressed hope that a permanent secretariat of the Turkic World Council will be set up during the Turkic countries’ summit, due in Istanbul in September. The measure will boost cooperation among participating nations, which share common language, religion and culture.

Kazakh Foreign Minister Saudabayev said the Permanent Secretariat will bring considerable benefits. "We will adhere to a unanimous stance on a number of issues, and the grief of the fraternal countries will be our grief, while their success will be our success."

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Mammadyarov said he had discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh with his Turkish counterpart.

"Turkey has a considerable clout in the international arena. I therefore believe that Mr. Davutoglu will have very effective initiatives in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement," Mammadyarov said.

Kazakbaev, the Kyrgyz minister, said that in the present-day world, besides linguistic, religious, cultural and historical unity, political and economic cooperation is of great importance. He said it was pivotal to adopt a common decision on which way the Turkic world will proceed in the future.

Kazakbaev suggested that the next informal ministerial be held in the Tanri Mountains in Kyrgyzstan.

The Bodrum meeting continued on Friday. The Turkish foreign minister’s bilateral meetings with his counterparts are scheduled on its sidelines.