Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian voiced hope that “this time Azerbaijan and Armenia will manage to establish lasting peace through reciprocal concessions.”

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, the president’s press service has presented, Sarkissian said in difficult situations there is no better way than to negotiate and talk.

“Armenia and Azerbaijan had a platform for negotiations, and this was the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship. Unfortunately, those negotiations failed, and we had a war that was the worst option. During the first Karabakh war, the Armenian side won and had 26 years to transform that victory into a lasting peace. But it failed to do it, and as a result, we had a war and thousands of young lives were lost,” Armenia’s president said.

Speaking about relations with Turkey, the president said that pragmatism and stability imply that you should not have problems with your neighbors, especially with a big one, who displays a special behavior in Syria, eastern Mediterranean and many other places.

“I again repeat that in this case, there is no other way but to talk. Armenia and Turkey once tried to negotiate in October 2009 and even signed a protocol in Zurich. At that time I was skeptical for several reasons. One of them was the absence of Azerbaijan in these negotiations from the Turkish side. Armenia had problems with Azerbaijan and would not have reached agreement with Turkey without Azerbaijan. From the Armenian side there was an absent party too – Diaspora. The Armenian Diaspora has mostly been formed as a result of the genocide. How could any president or prime minister of Armenia sign an agreement without having the support of the Diaspora? Armenia is a small country but its people are spread all over the world. There are as many Armenians living in the United States or Russia as in Armenia,” he noted.

Armen Sarkissian said that the way to lasting peace are negotiations, but not simple negotiations between the two countries.

“In this case you cannot ignore the history you have passed through. I think to reach success you should not turn a blind eye or ignore the obvious. These are not easy negotiations. I hope, a day will come when Armenians and Turks will succeed in this issue, but to do this we cannot ignore the historical realities,” the president said.