YEREVAN. - Peace has no alternative and each of the sides of Karabakh conflict should overcome its hatred and continue the path to peace and cooperation, said President of France Nicolas Sarkozy in the interview to Mediamax news agency.

"Sometimes more courage is needed for establishing peace than for continuing the war," he added.

According to Sarkozy, the history of France and Germany shows that even the biggest pain can be softened and the deepest hatred can be overcome, and even during the most difficult moments of their history peoples can find the strength for reconciliation.

"By the time our countries chose reconciliation, they had had three conflicts with each other during several decades. During the World War I, France and Germany fought tooth and nail. Our countries found the strength for reconciliation and had built a strong friendship on the fragments of World War II, accompanied by horrors and sufferings. This friendship is the cornerstone of European construction today," stressed Sarkozy. "You, Armenians and Azerbaijanis, should chose this path. The time has come for you to make a risky choice for peace, as there is no bigger danger than the preservation of status-quo which gives birth to illusions, provokes revenge and moves off all the prospects for peace."

According to Nicolas Sarkozy, no other country, but France, can imagine what Nagorno Karabakh means for Armenia.

"However, 17 years after the war, which had caused so many deaths and sufferings, the time has come to resolve the conflict and find the way to reconciliation. I'll also deliver this message to President Aliyev in Baku, where I am leaving after my visit to Armenia," Sarkozy said.