An Azerbaijani presidential executive said on Friday that Azerbaijan might bring a military intervention on the table regarding Upper Karabakh dispute if peaceful means failed.

Ramiz Mehdiyev, the head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, said that Azerbaijan preferred to solve Upper Karabakh dispute peacefully.

"However, we may bring other means, and military intervention, onto table in the future if necessary and if these peaceful means failed," Mehdiyev told editors-in-chief of newspapers and TV channels in İstanbul.

Mehdiyev said Azerbaijan was losing its patience, and said Armenia was Russia's support in the Balkans and Russia had to be more sincere in solving this problem.

The United States was also supporting Armenia," Mehdiyev said.

"If there had been no one behind Armenia, it would have withdrawn from Upper Karabakh," Mehdiyev said.

Also, Mehdiyev said signature of protocols between Turkey and Armenia would not harm Turkish-Azerbaijani relations because the two were sister countries.

Mehdiyev said Azerbaijan and Turkey would discuss lifting visa procedures, and come to a conclusion soon.

Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan in 1988.

In 1992 and 1993, Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories in Upper Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group -- Russia, France, and the US -- are currently holding the peace negotiations.


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