President Serzh Sargsyan Says Today Azerbaijan Not Able to Have Military Superiority Over Armenia

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20, ARMENPRESS:

The Karabakh issue is painful both for Armenia and Azerbaijan, RA President Serzh Sargsyan said today during a meeting in Sevan with the participants of "Miasin" (Together) movement and "Ari Tun" program.

In answer to a question by one of the participants on the NK issue and its deadlines, the president said "if it were easy, the issue would have already been settled." According to the president, the Azerbaijani authorities for years have been trying to convince the Azerbaijani people that Karabakh is an Azerbaijani land, and now the Azerbaijani authorities face a number of problems.

"They have never tried, and unfortunately do not try to have a frank and clear conversation with their people and tell them that the land is an Armenian one, there Armenians have lived for centuries. I am sure the time will come for this: no matter how difficult and arguable the matter is, we are obliged to find a key to the peaceful settlement of the issue. By saying "we", I mean Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan," the president said. He added that the current atmosphere does not give an opportunity for this.

"How can I indicate any timeframes, when referring to a peaceful resolution? Is a peaceful settlement possible, when every day the Azerbaijani authorities utter only anti-Armenian words, when they propagandize hatred?" the president says. He added that "we seem to have reconciled ourselves and got used to this, as it is not the first or second year."

The president told the young participants of "Miasin" movement and "Ari Tun" program that "maybe not the young, but their parents and elders will certainly remember the beginning of the 1990s", when Azerbaijani presidents Mütallibov, Elchibey were telling the same story about the power and superiority of Azerbaijan. He said there was only one Azerbaijani president, who had some realistic views.

"I am sure the military actions are a path leading to nowhere. Today Azerbaijan is not able to have a military superiority over us," President Serzh Sargsyan stated.

The president says it is well-known that Karabakh will never belong to Azerbaijan. "Today I am looking at you and telling my variant of resolution, what I say is that the resolution should be in a peaceful way." He said Karabakh has self-determined itself long ago and decides the fate on its own. "Which of you has visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and doubted that they have an independent state there?" the president stated. He added that sooner or later the issue of recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh will be settled. "The sooner, the better – both for Armenia, Karabakh and for Azerbaijan," the president stated.