Turkish FM says Ankara-Baku relations priority in all spheres UPDATE
By Gunay Camal
Azerbaijan and Turkey, which enjoy one of the closest relations in the world, intend to create a new format of trilateral cooperation together with Kazakhstan.
“There is a preliminary agreement on creating such a format of cooperation,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, while addressing a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mamamadyarov.
Both ministers mentioned that successful bilateral cooperation between the two countries is developing in trilateral Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Iran-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Turkey formats as well.
Experts believe that the trilateral formats such as Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Turkey, and Azerbaijan-Iran-Turkey offer opportunities for regional cooperation and diplomatic resolution of regional issues. Among these, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey format is the most functional, as the cooperation is supported by huge trade, energy and transportation projects.
Joint priorities and strategic partnership have deepened and enhanced this trilateral partnership, while Baku and Ankara were the main initiators of these formats.
Azerbaijan- Turkey cooperation, which contributes to enhancing the peace and development in and beyond of region and plays a stabilizing role, was mulled during the meeting of the two foreign ministers.
Cavusoglu and Mammadyarov underlined the existence of the wide legal basis regulating different fields of cooperation between the two countries adding that more than 200 bilateral documents have been signed on different aspects of cooperation.
The ministers stressed that the regional transportation infrastructure and energy projects implemented with Azerbaijan and Turkey’s initiative and common efforts substantially contribute to the development and prosperity in the region and beyond. In this sense, they added that as an important segment of the East-West transportation corridor Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line will be operational very soon.
Azerbaijan and Turkey are among the important countries in the region from the political and economic point of view. The two countries are bound not only by common culture, but also by important joint energy projects.
Turkey occupies the first place in the foreign investment of Azerbaijan, while only SOCAR plans to invest $18 billion in Turkey till 2018. More than 2,400 Turkish companies operate in Azerbaijan and over 1,000 Azerbaijani companies function in Turkey respectively.
Cavusoglu, addressing a joint press conference, said many projects in the region have turned Azerbaijan into a hub, adding that the two countries have become transit centers and will continue this cooperation.
Regional stability on focus
Elmar Mammadyarov, addressing the press-conference, mentioned that he and his Turkish counterpart discussed the ways to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict among the other topics.
“I informed my colleague about the talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s settlement,” Mammadyarov said, adding that as a leading country in the region and as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, Turkey must be aware of the developments in the conflict’s settlement.
“We believe that such an intensive continuation of negotiations will lead to some progress. The conflict must be solved gradually step by step. Everyone accepts that the troops of Armenia have to be withdrawn from the occupied territories,” he noted.
Cavusoglu reaffirmed Turkey’s position on the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and stated that this conflict must be resolved through negotiations based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions which demand withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan and within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan.
Both sides condemned all forms and manifestations of terrorism. Taking the opportunity, Mammadyarov reiterated his heartfelt condolences to the brotherly people of Turkey and families of those who lost their lives during the latest terror acts and shared their grievances.
The ministers further condemned the terror attack committed in the French city of Nice on July 14.
“We strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Nice,” said Cavusoglu. “We must be more resolute in the fight against terrorism and its manifestations.”
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