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This is not the first time we have met.
My position is clear and stays the same.
Today there are people here who are interested in a settlement of the problem.
When I read lectures and teach students, I always ask what sphere they want to specialize in.
They learn international affairs.
The USA? Of course! Europe? Perfect!
The territory of the former Soviet Union, the Baltic Sea region? Excellent!
Ukraine, Kazakhstan? Good!
When I try to suggest the Caucasus, faces get dull.
I have to convince people that it is interesting.
Due to our work in the department of the former Soviet Union space at the Russian State University of the Humanities
we managed to encourage an Azerbaijani girl to study the Armenian language.
Her tutor is from Yerevan.
About 20 years ago, when these problems began to appear,
we lived in an MSU dormitory and there were people of various origins.
One of them used to be the Premier of Armenia,
and when he came to Baku he found time to meet his coursemates.
We are humans.
When we met here we thought this problem could be solved only by our generation,
as we have many things in common, not only 1988.
And now some people say that there will be no peace in this region,
it appears we have the same problem as Palestine and Israel have.
We will never learn to understand one another.
It is impossible to develop any integration projects.
However, the current meeting is very important.
Thank you, Tigran, for the invitation.
It is a great advantage that this meeting is being held.
Everyone expresses his own opinion, and that is an advantage too.
I agree that integration of the rivals is impossible.
But I understand that the South Caucasus is a competitor for Europe, but not for Russia.
When we speak about integration, we mean that it is impossible without Russia and the Russian market.
One of the greatest minds said that being determines consciousness.
And the basis is primary.
20 years have passed, and we still, both Armenians and Azerbaijanis,
continue to be surprised by great minds of the past.
I mean the situation of 1988.
I’m sure if there were no such political problem…
I know that in Baku and the South Caucasus there were several businessmen at that time.
If the circumstances were different, such an economic situation wouldn’t occur.
Today, neither Armenians nor Azerbaijanis live in their motherland, or minor motherland, or true motherland.
The problem is the economy.
We do not pay serious attention to it.
A country that can invest and develop the economy not only within its boundaries,
but also beyond them, has a shallow attitude to the problem.
I’m glad that such a strong politician has come to office,
but I wish Russia, which is the motherland for all of us, not only relied on oil and gas resources,
but also established real industry and investment projects.
I believe the problem cannot be settled without Russia’s help,
but only if it has a serious attitude.
And I want us to live in our motherland, and not in Kolyma,
and look at each other calmly and amicably, as our grandfathers did.
That’s how our children should look at each other.