Azerbaijan ready return to talks with Armenia when military conflict ends: TASS citing Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said on Wednesday that his country would return to talks with Armenia after the acute phase of military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh region ends, Russian news agency TASS cited him as saying.

Aliyev, who spoke to Russian President Putin by phone, said in an interview with Russian state television that Turkey had the right to participate in mediation.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Time magazine that Armenia would agree to a ceasefire only if Turkey discontinued its engagement and mercenaries were withdrawn.