July 21, 2009 - 13:18 AMT
Alexey Mitrofanov: Armenians will not give back lands
Russia acts as a platform for meetings between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, a Russian politician said.

"The influence of the United States and Russia should not be overestimated. There is a conflict between two countries where mediators have a limited commission. Armenia will not surrender lands, Nagorno Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan. What can they do? Just wait some 20 or 40 more years?" said Alexey Mitrofanov, member of Russian State Duma.

"Armenians will not surrender Karabakh even if Russia and the entire world decide to support Azerbaijan. Nothing will change even if Azerbaijan gifts its gas and $10 billion to Russia," he said.

According to Mitrofanov, a war is a way out but it will exhaust both countries and produce no positive effect.

"The peculiarity of this conflict is the mentality of nations," he said, 1news.az reported.