BAKU, December 14. /TASS/: Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer to a peace agreement than ever, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at the press conference in Baku, where he is on an official visit.
"After the 44-day war that took place three years ago, there is a historic opportunity to achieve peace in the region. We believe that today, more than ever, such an opportunity to reach a peace agreement has become much more real, and it should no longer be avoided. We welcome the positive progress towards reaching a permanent peace agreement and defining the borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said.
According to Fidan, "the Armenian diaspora in the West exploits the difficult situation of the Armenian people and tries to incite some countries to take a stand against Azerbaijan." "Instead, it would be better for them to direct their efforts to create conditions where the Armenian people can establish normal relations with their neighbors," the minister said. He suggested that "players outside the region should pursue a policy aimed at maintaining balance and normalization."
"The progress achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia will have a positive impact on the process of normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia," Fidan continued. He sees no obstacles in the path of normalizing relations between Ankara and Yerevan. According to him, Turkey remains fully on the side of Azerbaijan and is ready to fulfill any task within the framework of the settlement.
