UPDATE - Turkish president receives Azerbaijani foreign minister in Ankara

ADDS DETAILS ABOUT MEETING

By Diyar Guldogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday received Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in the capital Ankara for talks.

Erdogan and Bayramov held a closed-door meeting at the presidential complex, where Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Erdogan's chief adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic were also present.

Efforts to increase Türkiye-Azerbaijan trade volume to the target of $15 billion should continue, Erdogan told Bayramov during the meeting, according to a statement by Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Noting that it is in the interests of both countries to act together and cooperate fully in energy and transportation, Erdogan pointed out the importance of the Trans-Caspian Railway and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, and that these routes should be used "more efficiently."

They also discussed the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Erdogan underlined that the immediate opening of the Zangezur Corridor and the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement as soon as possible are essential for the normalization process, the statement said.

Earlier, Bayramov met Fidan to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues.

Türkiye became the first state to recognize Azerbaijan, which declared its independence in 1991. Its relations with Azerbaijan are multifaceted and at a strategic level.