Sargsyan on the Karabakh conflict: The leadership of Azerbaijan has  the illusion that a compromise can only be from Armenia and Artsakh

ArmInfo.The leadership of Azerbaijan has the illusion that a compromise can only be from Armenia and Artsakh, and that, for this reason, the status quo does not change. This was stated in an interview with Izvestia by the third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan.

He recalled that for 30 years there has been an active phase of the  Nagorno-Karabakh problem, but it was before. 

According to him, in 1994, with the mediation of Russia, a trilateral  unlimited ceasefire agreement was signed. "Unfortunately, the  ceasefire regime was violated almost every day from Azerbaijan almost  every day from 2014. And in April 2016, failing in the talks, the  Azerbaijani side, treacherously violating its obligations under the  treaty, launched a large-scale aggression against the  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with the use of a large the number of  aircraft, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, missile systems,  flamethrower systems, incidentally, the majority acquired in Russia,  but they failed to solve any serious problem, and on the fifth day  and the mediation of Russia, the parties met and agreed to renew the  terms of the previously signed agreement, after which several summits  were held to agree on the establishment of a mechanism for  investigating violations of the ceasefire regime and expanding the  apparatus and powers of the personal representative of the OSCE  chairman. But the Azerbaijani side, refusing to fulfill these  agreements, "Sargsyan said.

At the same time, he stressed that as early as 2007 the OSCE Minsk  Group dealing with the settlement of the conflict proposed resolving  the issue on the basis of the three principles of international law:  the non- use of force or threat of force, equality and  self-determination of peoples, and territorial integrity. "In our  opinion, this is a balanced set of compromises." This is not what we  dreamed of, it's not the best option for us, but realizing that the  issue can only be resolved on the basis of compromise, we agreed to  negotiations.  we were close to signing in Kazan in 2011. 

But Baku put forward additional requirements and the signing did not  take place.The leadership of Azerbaijan has the illusion that a  compromise can only be from Armenia and Artsakh, and only for this  reason the status quo does not change. But here we need a  counter-compromise , Azerbaijanis still hope for a forceful solution  to the problem.As practice has shown, it is impossible in the early  1990s and in 2016.  There will be great losses, sacrifices, but still  the situation will not change.Although we will sooner or later come  to some decision, but the earlier, the better, "Sargsyan said.

At the same time, he expressed the conviction that the future of  Karabakh is a free life. "Yes, this is a small country, but this is  not the reason to say: you do not have the right to live freely,  people lived there for millennia and will live on. Of course, the  OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs - Russia, the United States, and France -  they do a lot to resolve the issue, five statements were made at the  presidential level, and they all say that the issue can be solved  only on these three principles, these principles are indivisible, and  this is very important, "Sargsyan summed up.