Mikhail Gorbachev: Karabakh problem lingering and complicated

Mikhail Gorbachev: Karabakh problem lingering and complicated

PanARMENIAN.Net - Karabakh problem is lingering and complicated, said Mikhail Gorbachev, the first President of the USSR.

“I can’t suggest any solution. Lands were divided and borders determined during and after the 1917 revolution. At that, neighbors came to be dependent on each other, with Moscow acting as arbiter. Problems always emerged. Azerbaijan and Armenia accused me of supporting the opposite side. However, it’s not so,” Mr. Gorbachev told Kommersant daily.

“National conflicts can’t be resolved if there should be winners and losers. Both sides should reach a consensus,” he said.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

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