Kalin made the remarks in Ankara on Nov. 22 at a conference on future relations between Turkey and Russia.
“The withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijani lands would be useful for Armenia itself,” he said. “Russia also has a big responsibility in resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
"The withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces is important for establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus," Kalin said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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