"The separation of a state and creation of mono-states according to the national principle will yield no positive results," Vladimir Putin told journalists on Saturday.
In his opinion, a national conflict may continue at the interstate level, as it happened in Nagorny Karabakh conflict (an Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan).
"The idea is not to go opposite ways but to reach a higher level of mutual relations. And it is much easier to achieve within the framework of a single state," the Russian leader said.
Mr. Putin gave the example of the Karachai-Circassian Republic (a republic in the North Caucasus where two nations, Karachais and Circassians live). According to Vladimir Putin, there were people eager to separate the republic under the pretext that the two nations could not live together.
"It turned out they could," he stressed.
