YEREVAN. - A settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the most realistic in 1997, when the problem could be resolved by yielding some territories to Azerbaijan, concluding a truce, and creating an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh to determine final status in the future, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, former Armenian president and the leader of the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC), told the BBC Russian service.

As to the reasons why it failed, he said that the Karabakh people considered it was not enough. They showed a radical approach. They thought they could press even more and get more, he added.

“Not only the Karabakh people, but also my people, some of my team. They did not agree to that plan. I told them: if you think there is a better solution, try to find it,” Ter-Petrosyan said.

According to him, currently Armenia has one problem – a “distorted power.” If Armenia resolves this problem, it will become a normal, free state. The problems with both Azerbaijan and Turkey will be resolved.

“However, if Armenia is faced with a disaster, we are the only ones to blame,” Ter-Petrosyan stressed.