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NKR second president:

NKR second president:

1 September 2011

"Azerbaijan must be the first to recognize our independence. Baku is not ready to such step now, but I am sure, it will do that later. Nagorny Karabakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan. I am sure that Azerbaijan is well aware of that as well," Arkady Ghukasyan, the second president of NKR said in an interview with the NKR Public Television, ArmInfo's correspondent to Stepanakert reported.

"...lAzerbaijan is not engaged in resolution of the conflict. It tries its best to harm Armenia. Such is the policy of Ilhav Aliyev, while we do not aim to destroy Azerbaijan," he said. Ghukasyan believes historical reconciliation the only resolution of the conflict. He is sure that NKR authorities cannot go on any steps infringing the interests of the people.

"...We should demonstrate to the world that we deserve independence. We have all the legal bases for that. Unfortunately, everyone now seeks political solutions neglecting the legal aspect, while a political solution depends on the political environment," he said.

"We will yield nothing until we understand what Azerbaijan is ready for:Alternative to negotiations is war," he said. He said that final goal of NKR is a peaceful life of the people. The ex-president is sure that together with Armenia and Diaspora, Artsakh will overcome everything.

As for resumption of military actions, the second president of NKR said: "I am not sure that Azerbaijan is ready to unleash war. The Azerbaijani leadership is well aware that in case of war, Azerbaijan face force- majeur situation the first. The world community is against war and it is evident. The country that will unleash war will be punished. At some moment Azerbaijan will understand that its hopes are senseless as NKR can never be part of Azerbaijan," he said.

NKR has to become a democratic country since it is very difficult for an unrecognized state to meet challenges, he said.

"Since our task is to have a de-jure status and to be recognized by the world community, we must learn talking to the world community on its own language. This made us rapidly pass the stages that take other countries decades and centuries. We understood then that if we fail to give freedom to our people, introduce international standards in our country, our path to independence will be twice as hard. What we have managed to create in Karabakh is a unique phenomenon I think," Arkady Ghukasyan said.

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