ISTANBUL (AFP)--Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew to Azerbaijan Wednesday for talks on the conflict between Georgia and Russia that has sparked fears of regional instability.
Erdogan said he and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev would discuss Ankara's proposal to establish a regional platform for stability and cooperation in the Caucasus that would include also Georgia, Russia and Armenia.
"We have vital interests in securing durable peace and stability in the region," he told reporters here before his departure.
Erdogan stressed Turkish officials were also planning to contact counterparts from Armenia, a neighbor with which Turkey has no diplomatic relations, over the project.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will speak to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov this week "after which the format of the contacts with Armenia will be determined," he said.
Erdogan traveled to Moscow and Tbilisi last week to discuss the proposal.