YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-The Nagorno-Karabakh peace process will be successful only with the participation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the negotiations, said President Serzh Sargsyan Tuesday during a meeting with a visiting Karabakh parliamentary delegation.

"We must be well aware that the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process can be crowned with success provided that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is immediately included in the negotiations. There is no other alternative," Sargsyan told the visiting delegation.

"Everyone should know that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh defended their independence with their blood, fighting a war imposed on them," added Sargsyan.

The Karabakh delegation head, parliament speaker Ashot Ghulian, said that while the peace negotiations were proceeding actively, the mechanisms of Karabakh's participation in the talks remained unresolved.

"The complete participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation process has not been clarified yet. It is a fundamental issue, because the guarantee for the implementation of final decisions rests on the people in Nagorno-Karabakh," said Gulian.

Meanwhile, Official Baku blasted Sargsyan's comments Wednesday saying that they were meant for internal/domestic consumption.

Azeri foreign ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov said Sargsyan made the remarks in order to gain public support for Armenia's position in the negotiations.

"Such a statement by the occupier, Armenia, which holds 20 percent of Azeri lands, contradicts principles and norms of international law that prohibits the use of force and occupation of sovereign states," added Polukhov.

The Azeri spokesperson added that the active negotiation process proves that Karabakh's participation would not necessarily impact its success.