Azerbaijan

Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape in Azerbaijan is a bridge connecting the past and modern ages, a reserve official said in an interview.

"Same as Azerbaijan stands as an economic, cultural and historical bridge between Europe and Asia, Gobustan also stands as a bridge between ancient and modern times," said Fikrat Abdullayev, deputy director of the reserve.

Azerbaijan's president on Feb. 15 said the Upper Karabakh issue cannot be resolved in a day and there is a need to resolve the conflict in phases.

Turkey on Feb. 9 welcomed the peaceful voting in Azerbaijan.

"We wish that the parliamentary elections held today will be auspicious for brotherly Azerbaijan," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It also congratulated President Ilham Aliyev and the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) under his leadership, for their election success.

Voters are heading out to cast ballots in Azerbaijan's snap election on Feb. 9, with polls opening at 8.00 a.m. local time and set to close at 7.00 p.m.

A total of 1,314 candidates - including nearly 300 women - are running for parliamentary seats in the Caspian country.

Keeping "brotherly" Turkey waiting for European Union membership is a "big injustice," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Dec. 23.

"Many years have passed since Turkey signed the agreement with the EU. But did the next steps produce any results? Of course not. This is a big injustice," said Aliyev, speaking on national television.

Turkish and Azerbaijani think-tanks on Oct. 3 agreed on further cooperation on the sidelines of the 10th-anniversary meeting of the Turkic Council.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sept. 16 met Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay in the capital Baku.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Sept. 11 voiced his country's foreign policy priorities at Azerbaijan's Embassy in Turkey.  

The visit of the Bulgarian MPs Valeri Simeonov and Yordan Apostolov to the occupied territory of Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh and their meeting there with representatives of the illegal separatist regime is a direct violation of international law, Azerbaijani MP from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Elman Nasirov told Trend.

A team of experts from Turkey has been invited to Azerbaijan for to join search for a fighter jet that crashed near the capital Baku last week, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on July 30 in a statement.