Turkey hails partnership with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan

A trilateral mechanism between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan has made significant contributions to the prosperity and stability of the region, the foreign minister of Turkey said on Feb. 23. 

"Our relationships built on special bonds have turned into a comprehensive partnership today. This trilateral mechanism, which we initiated in 2014, has made a significant contribution to the prosperity and stability of the region," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Turkmen counterparts.

Underlining that the meeting had been fruitful, Çavuşoğlu said the delegations reviewed the steps they had taken so far and voiced important ideas and proposals for the future.

He stressed that Turkey wants to work closely with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as part of its Asia Anew initiative.

Turkey launched the initiative in 2019 to improve ties with Asian countries in various areas.

The ministers also discussed and determined a roadmap for an upcoming trilateral summit of the presidents of the three countries to be held in Turkmenistan, he added.

During the press conference, Çavuşoğlu also spoke about the "brutal competition" across the world for COVID-19 vaccines.

"We will continue our solidarity as three sister countries, while continuing our common struggle," he said.

"Our relations have turned into a comprehensive partnership today," Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter, adding that cooperation between the three countries would "continue to increase in every field including transportation and energy."

During the meeting, the ministers signed a joint declaration that emphasized the importance of the trilateral mechanism to enhance multilateral cooperation opportunities.

They agreed to...