YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has been illegally blockaded by Turkey for decades. Our other neighbor, Azerbaijan, demonstrates a hostile attitude toward Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan stated this in an interview to The New York Times. As reports “Armenpress”, in the interview the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan touched upon the challenges and issues Armenia faces today.

Among other things, the President of Armenia stated: “For a long period of time we have been living in “a no war, no peace” situation. Armenophobia, militant rhetoric and armed provocations along the border have become an inseparable part of our daily life for 20 years. Today, the fragile peace in Nagorno-Karabakh is the lynchpin of peace in our entire region, and we defend the very peace of the region from the trespasses of our neighbor dictatorship, which is blinded by petrodollars. In my opinion, our number one priority has been and will remain the security of the Republic of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Fragile peace is better than victorious war.”

 “The maintenance of peace is our greatest achievement, and in the upcoming years we will continue to prioritize security along with economic development, the promotion of democracy, education and health. We seek a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on international law, particularly on the arrangements achieved within the framework of the format of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. To this end we continue our active cooperation with the co-chair countries – the USA, Russia and France.

I regret to say that so far we have not achieved tangible results because of the maximalist and often provocative stance of Azerbaijan at odds with both the spirit of the entire process and our joint efforts with the international community,” Serzh Sargsyan underscored.

In addition, the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan reflected on the Armenian Diaspora’s activities and particularly noted: “In the 21st century, public diplomacy plays a major role in the development of bilateral relations. In this regard, Armenians worldwide, many of whom are descendants of survivors of the Armenian genocide, are an inalienable and important component of Armenian public diplomacy. A vivid example thereof is the Armenian community in the US. Indeed, the current level of Armenian-American relations is also conditioned by this factor. At the same time, this community contributes to the development and prosperity of both the USA and Armenia. The Armenian-American community regularly makes its voice heard in issues of pan-Armenian importance, such as the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide and the lifting of blockades.”