Turkey and France can jointly contribute to ensure lasting peace in the South Caucasus. The statement came from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the eve of his visit to France, L'Opinion reports.

According to him, lasting peace in the South Caucasus will contribute to the prosperity of Azerbaijan and Armenia. "Using and distorting history for political purposes has never resolved the dispute and has not led to justice," he said.

At the same time, the Turkish minister called the Armenians "extremists" who "have taken Turkish-French relations hostage" with their "baseless" statements, and Turkey and France—by making joint efforts—could have made a great contribution to stability in the South Caucasus.