YEREVAN. – Independent Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) shall sit at the negotiating table with the Azerbaijanis, and it, not Armenia, shall determine its destiny.

Former deputy chief of the National Security Service of Armenia, Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, stated the above-said at a press conference on Monday.

He hailed the recent statement by US ex-Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, who had maintained that Nagorno-Karabakh has long been ready to conduct an independent policy.

“It’s the first time that we hear such a statement that Karabakh must definitely participate in the [peace] process, as an independent party,” added Yeghiazaryan.

In his words, there is solely one way: Artsakh’s recognition as a state, and it shall decide what is next.

“Azerbaijanis expect that we [i.e. the Armenian side] attack first; they always cause damage to the Armenian sides, with snipers and other means,” noted Gurgen Yeghiazaryan. “But I welcome [the fact] that we are not the first to attack.”