Azerbaijani, Turkish diplomats discuss Upper Karabakh

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) - Azerbaijan and Turkey discussed the latest developments and exchanged views Wednesday about the situation on the ground regarding clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a statement by the Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

Foreign ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed the necessity of liberating Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation to maintain sustainable peace in the region.

Bayramov met earlier with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss tensions with Armenia.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Fresh clashes erupted Sept. 27 and the Armenian army has since continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, even violating humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

The OSCE Minsk Group -- co-chaired by France, Russia and the US -- was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail.

Turkey supports Baku's right to self-defense and has demanded a withdrawal of occupying forces.