“It is impossible to imagine such a situation that Armenia would hold talks with Azerbaijan, leaving Nagorno Karabakh uninformed,” President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Arkadi Ghukassian told to a press conference in Yerevan after negotiating with OSCE MG French Co-Chair Bernard Fassier. He said, naturally Nagorno Karabakh is being informed, and Stepanakert is aware of details. “However, because of the fact that we are not participating in negotiations, a problem exists, since we are deprived of the possibility to feel all those nuances, which exists in the process of talks,” Ghukassian noted. At the same time he stressed that in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement problem there exist both insignificant and serious differences between Yerevan and Stepanakert. “Perhaps, it would be incorrect to sound those differences by me, since it is our inner kitchen. But we do not lose hope that we will be able to persuade Armenia of those problems where our points do not coincide,” he said. A. Ghukassian is sure that Nagorno Karabakh will reach agreement with Armenia on disputable issues. “Usually during discussions of this or that issue we manage without emotions and bring reasons and arguments, and as a rule, wins the heaviest argument,” he underscored and added, “I think we have such an chance.”
Speaking about the coming meeting between Armenian and Azeri FMs in Geneva March 14, Arkadi Ghukassian said that he has no serious expectations from that meeting. At the same time he stressed that every meeting is important. The NKR President could not make predictions over terms of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, but underlined that everyone will benefit if the problems solves as soon as possible. He continued saying that from “no war, no peace” situation most of all suffers Nagorno Karabakh. “We are interested in the solution of the conflict, but we have principles that we will never refuse from,” the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic underlined, adding that if this issue is settled at the expense of interests of Nagorno Karabakh, naturally, “we do not need such a solution”. At the same time Arkadi Ghukassian noted the possibility to hold a meeting between Azeri and Armenian presidents is excluded. He said, meetings on presidential level are more important of those on the level of foreign ministers, IA Regnum reports.
