President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin’s assessment of the historical background of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict became the key aspect of his statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This is what Advisor to the President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Davit Babayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, commenting on the statements that Putin made during a meeting held at Valdai Discussion Club.

“The statements that Vladimir Putin made yesterday can truly be referred to as a significant event. For the first time in the history of Russia and even the Karabakh movement and the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, the head of state assessed the reasons behind the emergence of the conflict. Until then, no head of state had ever expressed his or her opinion or the opinion of the country on the origins of the conflict,” Babayan stated.

“The President of the Russian Federation referred to Armenia and Azerbaijan as equal partners, underscoring the objectivity of his and Russia’s assessments of the reasons for the conflict and its settlement. Putin said the following: “Unfortunately, it is a fact that brutal crimes were perpetrated against the Armenian people in Sumgait and then in Nagorno-Karabakh. We must take all this into consideration.” This shows that Nagorno-Karabakh can’t form a part of Azerbaijan,” Babayan said.

“As far as Putin’s statement on territories is concerned, the remaining issues, including territories and boundaries can be discussed during negotiations. It is needless to talk about the political component during aggression and war,” Babayan concluded.