Azerbaijan is ready to open its border with Armenia and establish formal relations if Yerevan returns five regions adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh, an Azerbaijani official has said.

Elkhan Polukhov, spokesperson for Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday that Azerbaijan may consider opening its borders with Armenia in case of a breakthrough in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "It has been said in earlier statements from Azerbaijani officials that Azerbaijan is ready to open borders and restore dialogue with Armenia if the first stage of a plan to resolve the conflict is implemented," he said, Today's Zaman reported.

Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey and a key natural gas supplier for the proposed Nabucco project destined to reach Europe, earlier criticized Turkey's own plans to open its border with Armenia, closed in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan in its war with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh.