YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in autumn of 2017 is not ruled out.

President Sargsyan commented on the matter in an interview to Armenia TV. Few weeks ago an initial agreement on the meeting was reached during the visit of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

“They asked about our stance regarding organizing a high level meeting, we answered the following: we don’t have any particular expectations from that kind of meetings, because such meetings must be prepared, while preparations imply stance on specific proposals, but nevertheless we do not oppose any kind of meeting and we are always ready. I don’t have big expectations from that meeting, and this meeting might take place in autumn”, President Sargsyan said.

The president emphasized that there is no any new approach in the Armenian side’s principle stance after the April War.

“I don’t suppose change in stance, at least in the Armenian stance. Regarding concessions, during the past 20 years we haven’t spoken about concessions anywhere or anyhow. We have always talked about, and we continue to talk about the compromise option for the solution of the issue. These are different things. And I am sure that if this issue doesn’t get a solution for another 20 years, then the Armenian side will never have the desire to go for easing the situation through concessions. Because this is a destructive path and this can never solve problems”, he said.

Speaking about the reasons that the Armenian side doesn’t have changes in its stance, the president pointed out several principles.

“The Armenian side’s desire, the Armenian side’s goal is obvious: The Nagorno Karabakh people’s self-determination right is a right granted from above, a right defined by charters of international structures, a principle adopted by international right and it must be exercised.

This is one very important point. The second point: The Nagorno Karabakh Republic must have a land border with Armenia. This is the second principled stance. And the third principled stance: The Nagorno Karabakh Republic must have reliable security guarantees. And it is these issues that we have spoken about during these 20 years”, he said.

The president emphasized that Karabakh’s participation in the document around the principles is mandatory.