Azerbaijani president expresses regret over rising tensions between Turkey, Russia

Azerbaijan has maintained close relations with both Turkey and Russia and regrets the growing tensions between the two countries, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said here on Friday.

"Azerbaijan is ready to do its best for the elimination of tensions in Turkish-Russian relations," Aliyev told visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The president also said his country has successfully cooperated with Turkey in various fields.

Cavusoglu, for his part, expressed gratitude to Aliyev for his attendance at a recent G20 summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.

Turkey-Azerbaijan ties are steadily developing in all fields and will hopefully reach even higher levels in the future, he said.

Aliyev and Cavusoglu also exchanged views on their two countries' economic cooperation, regional security and other issues.

Cavusoglu's visit came amid the escalation of tensions in the region following the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish F-16s on the Syrian border.

Turkey-Russia relations have worsened after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 Tuesday for alleged violation of its air space. Denying the allegations, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a "stab in the back," and warned of serious consequences for bilateral relations. Endi