There are no controlled or occupied territories in Karabakh. There is the NKR integrity within its present borders. As for the statements on Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, their authors should clarify which Azerbaijan they are talking about, lieutenant general Vitaliy Balasanyan stated in an interview with Karabakh-online. In his words, history counts at least three periods of the Azeri-Karabakh relations: pre-revolutionary, soviet and post soviet. "During the first and third periods Karabakh was not a part of Azerbaijan. It was during the short soviet period only. Thus, the people speaking of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity wish to return the soviet reality," he noted.

At that he reminded that Azerbaijan twice waged war against Nagorno Karabakh. "In 1988 when NK Autonomous Region was a part of Azerbaijani SSR the Azeri authorities organized carnage in Sumgait, Baku and other towns. They also carried out "Ring" punitive operation in Nagorno Karabakh. It was a war against own citizens. After the collapse of the USSR Azerbaijan levied war on independent Karabakh. The war was conducted on Karabakh's territory and we had to defend," Balasanyan said. He reminded that the NKR armed forces neutralized weapon emplacements and took under control the territories called Karabakh. "Today Azerbaijan is speaking of a third war while the international community does nothing to stop the anti-Armenian propaganda. I am convinced that first of all the international community should give an assessment to the events that had taken place. Those who press for the return of the Azeri refugees should recognize that the refugee flows from both sides were caused by the war imposed by Azerbaijan," Vitaliy Balasanyan said.