The occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia is a serious problem in the South Caucasus which hasn’t been resolved so far, Turkish former President Abdullah Gul said.

Gul said it is regrettable that Armenia continues the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, Yenisafak newspaper reported Apr.16.

Turkey’s ex-president added that South Caucasus has a serious potential to become a kind of a gateway for the dialogue between Europe and Asia, however, the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia hinders that.

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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.