BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 19. It is very important that there is a lasting peace settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with AZERTAC, TurkicWorld reports.

"For us, it is very important that there is a lasting peace settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and I welcome the message from President Ilham Aliyev yesterday, when we had a dinner and at a press conference and meeting, where he stated very clearly that you are now closer to a peace agreement than ever before. There are some remaining issues that have to be solved, but I really hope that both parties, both Azerbaijan and Armenia, seize this opportunity to find and to agree a peace agreement, to establish the conditions for a lasting peace because peace and stability in this region is of course, very important for the people who live in this region. It’s important for creating the conditions and framework for investments for prosperity. Because we know that peace and stability is precondition for any economic development and economic growth. Peace and stability in this region matters for international peace and security. So it is in the interest of NATO allies to have lasting peace. So therefore, I strongly believe that everything should be done to ensure lasting peace and security,” he said.