"The issue of territories always exists and we cannot pass around it. But it is not a primary issue in the process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement," NKR President Arkadi Ghukassian stated to a press conference in Yerevan. He said, the Co-Chairs clearly know that there exists a logic in the stance of Nagorno Karabakh. "Territories and refugees are the consequences of the conflict and not the reasons for it. Azerbaijan was defeated and lost Nagorno Karabakh. Everyone understands it. However, there exists a diplomatic formula, "I understand everything, but…", Ghukassian underscored.

At the same time the NKR President assured that optimism of mediators is quite understandable. "Mediator is always an optimist, otherwise it is impossible to agree. We realize that compromises are necessary, but they are talked about abstractedly. The main thing for us is to make sure that Azerbaijan will recognize the independence of NKR. And Azerbaijan does not want to get part by part, he wants all at once. Nothing similar happens," Ghukassian underscored.