Permanent peace in the South Caucasus is closer today than ever, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, Anadolu reported.

“Undoubtedly, the basis for reaching this point is that brotherly Azerbaijan has ended the occupation of its lands in Karabakh. We continue our bilateral relations with Azerbaijan at an exemplary level. We jointly strive to find solutions to many international issues. After the war, Armenia decided to utilize its preference for peace and stability. It is gratifying that this continues. We urge both Azerbaijan and Armenia not to miss this historic opportunity,” Turkish media quoted Fidan as saying.

The Turkish Foreign Minister reportedly recalled that the sides held a private meeting in Istanbul for the first time after a long time without the participation of a third country, and stressed that the normalization process they are pursuing with Armenia in the context of the South Caucasus is also important.

“Noting that Turkey's constructive will is to gradually normalize bilateral relations in coordination with Azerbaijan, Fidan explained that they discussed all issues related to the region with constructive understanding at the meeting of the 3+3 regional cooperation platform held in Istanbul in October,” Anadolu writes.