"I do not think it right to say that it is not a party to the general process at all," Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Ghukasian stated when commenting on NKR's involvement in the peace process in an interview with RFE/RL. "On the one hand, there is no active negotiating process on our part within the framework of the Minsk Group. Meetings are held only between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the other hand, during their regional tours the Minsk Group Co-Chairs always pay visits to Nagorno Karabakh, meaning that they negotiate with us as well," said Ghukasian. As for the current format of negotiations in which Armenia and Azerbaijan are represented as parties, the Karabakh leader thinks it is a forced step considering Azerbaijan's reluctance to have direct contacts with Nagorno Karabakh. "I think it is a big obstacle to the process and the formula according to which Karabakh should join the talks only later is unclear to me," he said. "Negotiating with Armenia only, Azerbaijan is dragging out the process. Meanwhile, its negotiations with Karabakh will mean that Azerbaijan is ready for a settlement."

Ghukasian believes that dealing with Armenia only, Azerbaijan is pursuing its goal of getting the international community to recognize Armenia as an aggressor in the conflict and to apply sanctions against it. "There is an absurd opinion in Azerbaijan that negotiating with Karabakh will mean recognition of its independence. We have much more serious arguments for our independence than negotiations with Azerbaijan," Ghukasian stated. The Karabakh leader expressed his strong opinion that any settlement plan should first of all consider the issue of Nagorno Karabakh's status as a priority. "I see that the international community is showing a clear approach today that the issue of Nagorno Karabakh's status is really on the agenda. While Azerbaijan did not even want to speak about the status of Nagorno Karabakh before, then now it is forced to discuss this issue," Ghukasian said.