Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 December / Trend , corr.S.Agayeva/Turkey supports the format of the OSCE Minsk Group to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ali Babacan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, said to journalists in Baku.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a very complicated problem and could be settled only through the negotiation ways, Babacan believes.
According to Babacan, essential steps are needed to take to settle the problem and Turkey is ready to support Azerbaijan in this way.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
At the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish foreign ministers Ankara's initiative to create a platform of stability and cooperation in Caucasus was touched upon. The sides agreed to continue talks on this issue.
Ministers discussed the energy cooperation between the both countries. Azerbaijan and Turkey intend to stir up efforts to implement the project on construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and Baku-Erzrum gas project.
Babacan arrived in Azerbaijan with an official visit on 30 November.
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