Azerbaijan is enjoying a “historic peak” in its relations with Türkiye, country’s foreign minister has said, welcoming his Turkish counterpart to Baku.
“Today, when we talk about all spheres – political, economic, trade, military, defence industry, energy security, investments, other directions of the humanitarian sphere – we would not be wrong if we note that Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations are at a historic peak,” Jeyhun Bayramov told a press conference alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday.
Mentioning how relations between Baku and Ankara were elevated to the level of strategic partnership with the 2021 Shusha Declaration, Bayramov said Azerbaijan and Türkiye “demonstrate a unique unity that has no analogues in the world,” resulting from the political will of both countries’ presidents.
Bayramov added that 2023 has been fruitful in terms of relations between Ankara and Baku.
Turkish FM Hakan Fidan after talks with Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov:
– Azerbaijan-Armenia relations discussed
– Good neighbourly relations imperative for lasting regional peace
– Increase in our energy partnership will be fruitful for both countries pic.twitter.com/oAuVlJSDTw— TRT World (@trtworld) December 14, 2023
‘One nation, two states’
Türkiye and its Turkic neighbor Azerbaijan have long enjoyed close relations, often summed up using the motto, “One nation, two states.”
Bayramov went on to say that Azerbaijan and Türkiye have the same positions in terms of “ensuring sustainable peace and security in the region.”
“We believe that normal neighbourly relations should be established between the countries of the region, they should be based on historical justice, norms and principles of international law,” Bayramov said.
Speaking about the normalisation of relations with Armenia, Bayramov said that the implementation of the peace process with Yerevan has always been important for Azerbaijan.
He further said that Türkiye, as a country in the region, is interested in the restoration of sustainable peace, development, and economic cooperation “unlike some third countries that are not directly involved in the process and have launched numerous initiatives.”
“If Azerbaijan is at the table, Türkiye is at the table. If the Armenian side acts with the same pragmatic thinking, it would be convenient for Armenia to have Türkiye at the table,” he said.
He said that there is a complete consensus among himself and Fidan that there is a “historical opportunity” for Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation following Baku’s full restoration of its territorial integrity, adding that his country will present its position on the recent proposal sent by Yerevan last month with regards to the peace deal “in the near future.”
