Mikhail Gorbachov: "Decision on Karabakh's removal from Azerbaijan was right"

APA reports that Gorbachov touched on Azerbaijan's main problem - Nagorno Karabakh conflict and presumed to admit some facts in the interview. The journalist asked him if Moscow could abolish the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh in 1988 and demand Azerbaijan to provide more freedom to Nagorno Karabakh without attaching to Armenia.

Gorbachov answered that Moscow was preparing to allocate 1bn rubles to the development of Karabakh which population is 180,000 to make Baku to issue grants, to open communications with Armenia.

"But meanwhile, Karabakh was announced the integral territory of Armenia at the session of Armenian Supreme Assembly. What did I have to do? Did I have to place troops to Armenia? I think that decision on removal of Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan was right step."

Answering the question that he placed the troops to Tbilisi, Baku and Vilnius, Gorbachov replies that troops were sent to Baku only by his behest.

"Baku was out of control then, both the Supreme Assembly and the Central Committee got paralyzed, 200 km border were destroyed, local organizations underwent attacks. I urgently sent Yevgeni Primakov and Andrey Girenko to Baku, they reported me about the situation and they offered to announce curfew and send troops. Placing of troops in Baku prevented further blood shedding."