Even if the whole world were to unite today, it cannot convince the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) to live within Azerbaijan, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told the Arabic Al Mayadeen TV.

In his words, solely the residents of Artsakh shall decide on its final status—i.e. to become an independent state, or to join Armenia.

“For me the most important thing is that the safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is ensured, that they are able to live in their historical homeland, where they have lived for millennia,” said Sargsyan. “And that safety can be ensured solely outside Azerbaijan.”

The President recalled that Artsakh has never been a part of Azerbaijan.

“After the Sovietization of Russia, by the decision of the Caucasian Bureau of the Communist Party, Nagorno-Karabakh was annexed to Azerbaijan, though, it had nothing in common with Azerbaijan,” added Sargsyan. “They did the same thing also with [once Armenian-populated] Nakhichevan, which is now completely de-Armenianized.”

The President of Armenia also noted that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict becomes complicated also because of the fact that, although the region is small, numerous interests, which have an impact on challenges and conflicts, overlap in this region.

“I’m sure that if there is an integrated approach in the negotiation process, the option for the solution to the problem will be found,” stated Serzh Sargsyan. “But the world is developing in this way; there is no regional problem which many countries do not consider from the viewpoint of their national interests.”