Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev met with Turkish president Recep Erdogan in Baku on Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between Azerbaijan and its neighbour Armenia.
Dozens of Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers were killed during four days of heavy fighting at the beginning of this month. Both sides accuse the other of repeated breaches of the Russian-brokered ceasefire.
Turkey overtly supported its ally Azerbaijan during the fighting, with Erdogan saying Turkey would stand "side by side with our brothers".
These comments were criticised by other regional actors, especially Russia. "These were not appeals for peace but for war,” said foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in the Armenian capital Yerevan last week. Unlike Russia, the Turkish leadership did not immediately call for a ceasefire.
Russia sells arms to both sides, but sells them to Armenia, its ally in the Collective Treaty Security Organisation, at a discounted rate.
Aliyev and Erdogan “hailed the successful development of friendly and fraternal relations between the two countries based on strategic partnership,” according to the Azerbaijani president’s office.
They also highlighted the importance of the seventh global forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which is taking place in Baku this week. Aliyev and Erdogan met in Istanbul just twelve days ago.
