STEPANAKERT IS INTERESTED IN THE MONITORING OF SECURITY ZONES
Authorities of Armenia and Karabakh have created all the necessary conditions for the members of the mission.
The monitoring mission of the OSCE special group of experts in the security zones around Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is under way. It is worth reminding that the task of the mission members is to find out whether the statement of Azerbaijan concerning mass settlement in those regions is realistic.
Monday is a hard day. For mission members it was especially hard because they decided to start the monitoring program from Karvachar (Kelbadjar) - the most complicated region both in terms of relief and climate and in terms of efforts. There was a lot of snow in the mountains and the traffic on the roads was tied up. Nevertheless the members of the mission visited all the settlements, two villages and the regional center of Karvarchar. In contrast to other regions they met people here. It has never been a secret that in Karvarchar there are little settlements that are mainly inhabited by homeless refugees from Azerbaijan. They have come from the occupied Northern Karabakh fully inhabited by Azeris and seized Armenian villages of Mardakert and Martuni regions. The mission members met those people and were shown enough documents confirming the origin of the inhabitants.
Tuesday was much easier for the mission. Early in the morning the delegation headed for Fizouli. In the evening they already had to be in Djebrail. Apparently, the mission members had nothing to do in Fizouli where the borderline between Armenian and Azerbaijan forces is located. There is nothing interesting there except military installations and frontier posts. At first, the trip to Fizouli seemed meaningless even to the Azerbaijani who claimed that there were no settlings there. But then for some reason they insisted on including the region in the monitoring program. It should be noted that the army of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic controls not the whole region but only its western parts. It was quite enough to ensure the security of Armenian villages of Martuni region. Karabakh forces did not go further to gain the rear of the enemy in 1993 since they had a concrete aim - to create a security zone.
In Djebrail which is next to Fizouli there were no organized settlings too. Apparently the mission members were aware of that since they had planned to visit the two regions in one day. It should be reminded that it was planned to spend one whole day in each region. The "saved" day will be devoted to Lachin where there are several Armenian villages. It is Lachin that connects Karabakh with Armenia. Up to now in all the discussed project of conflict resolution this region was given a special status to provide Stepanakert with mechanisms of formal and informal control over that strategic territory. Taking into account the circumstances it seems quite natural that in Lachin there is a certain formed infrastructure.
The experts intend to spend Wednesday in Zangelan which is located to the south west of Nagorno-Karabakh at the border between Iran and Armenia. Later on in the program are Lachin and Aghdam. At the end of the monitoring the mission members will head for Stepanakert where they will again meet the President of the Republic. Then they will fly to Yerevan and after meeting Armenian state authorities they will go to Vienna where the OSCE Headquarters is situated. During a month the experts will prepare a report on their trip. The state authorities of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh jointly with OSCE office have created all the necessary conditions for the mission members. They have at their disposal reliable vehicles, security and translators. They are provided with food, accommodation, communication means and a copier. The experts are accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mailyan who sees that nothing hinders the mission. Official Stepanakert is interested in the efficiency of this mission. Yet two years ago the President of Nagorno-Karabakh applied to the European Council and OSCE and called them to send on a mission a special monitoring group and to check the situation on the spot. It was when Azerbaijan accused Karabakh authorities of burial of nuclear wastes in the security zones, drug traffic and creation of a laboratory for producing chemical and bacteriological weapons. In PACE it was even decided to send a special mission to the regions controlled by Karabakh but it was never done. Conducting of inspections is in the interests of Karabakh. The more thoroughly and objective the monitoring is conducted the easier it will be for Karabakh authorities to disprove the dirty insinuations of Azerbaijan.
Artyom Yerkanyan
Tuesday was much easier for the mission. Early in the morning the delegation headed for Fizouli. In the evening they already had to be in Djebrail. Apparently, the mission members had nothing to do in Fizouli where the borderline between Armenian and Azerbaijan forces is located. There is nothing interesting there except military installations and frontier posts. At first, the trip to Fizouli seemed meaningless even to the Azerbaijani who claimed that there were no settlings there. But then for some reason they insisted on including the region in the monitoring program. It should be noted that the army of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic controls not the whole region but only its western parts. It was quite enough to ensure the security of Armenian villages of Martuni region. Karabakh forces did not go further to gain the rear of the enemy in 1993 since they had a concrete aim - to create a security zone.
In Djebrail which is next to Fizouli there were no organized settlings too. Apparently the mission members were aware of that since they had planned to visit the two regions in one day. It should be reminded that it was planned to spend one whole day in each region. The "saved" day will be devoted to Lachin where there are several Armenian villages. It is Lachin that connects Karabakh with Armenia. Up to now in all the discussed project of conflict resolution this region was given a special status to provide Stepanakert with mechanisms of formal and informal control over that strategic territory. Taking into account the circumstances it seems quite natural that in Lachin there is a certain formed infrastructure.
The experts intend to spend Wednesday in Zangelan which is located to the south west of Nagorno-Karabakh at the border between Iran and Armenia. Later on in the program are Lachin and Aghdam. At the end of the monitoring the mission members will head for Stepanakert where they will again meet the President of the Republic. Then they will fly to Yerevan and after meeting Armenian state authorities they will go to Vienna where the OSCE Headquarters is situated. During a month the experts will prepare a report on their trip. The state authorities of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh jointly with OSCE office have created all the necessary conditions for the mission members. They have at their disposal reliable vehicles, security and translators. They are provided with food, accommodation, communication means and a copier. The experts are accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mailyan who sees that nothing hinders the mission. Official Stepanakert is interested in the efficiency of this mission. Yet two years ago the President of Nagorno-Karabakh applied to the European Council and OSCE and called them to send on a mission a special monitoring group and to check the situation on the spot. It was when Azerbaijan accused Karabakh authorities of burial of nuclear wastes in the security zones, drug traffic and creation of a laboratory for producing chemical and bacteriological weapons. In PACE it was even decided to send a special mission to the regions controlled by Karabakh but it was never done. Conducting of inspections is in the interests of Karabakh. The more thoroughly and objective the monitoring is conducted the easier it will be for Karabakh authorities to disprove the dirty insinuations of Azerbaijan.
Artyom Yerkanyan
