YEREVAN. Oct 22 (Interfax) - Reaching a ceasefire in Karabakh and beginning peace talks will become possible, if Turkey as a NATO member state will cease to be a party to the crisis, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said at a press briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday.
"This is a conflict not only between the Armenian side and Azerbaijan; there is also a third country, which supports Azerbaijan in military and diplomatic aspects. This country is Turkey, which is also delivering terrorists to the region. This country is unfortunately a NATO member. If such NATO member as Turkey will cease to be a party to the conflict, I think that we will reach a ceasefire and will be able to sit down to the negotiating table, and find a peaceful solution to this conflict," Sarkissian said quoted by the Armenian state news agency Armenpress.
Armenia commends an effort of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the presidents of these three countries, as well as an effort of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Sarkissian said.
In his speech, the Armenian president also touched on the relations between NATO and Armenia, emphasizing that Armenia demonstrated itself as NATO's reliable partner over these izyears.