OSCE MISSION CONFIRMED THE ABSURDITY OF ACCUSATION
International experts have verified the fact that Armenians do not have any plans to populate the territories under control.
The monitoring group that has visited the regions controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh army has officially reported the results of observations to the OSCE permanent council. The mission has come up with certain conclusions concerning the assertions of Azeri representatives about the population of those regions. The conclusion is better characterized by the following quotation from the report. "There are no obvious signs of organized mass settlement, involuntary movement of people..." Thus it has been proved that the accusations of official Baku are absolutely groundless.
Here are some extracts from the report that again confirm that the statements of Azerbaijan are groundless. "Population is very limited"
"The mission has not established that the population is a result of Armenian policy"
"The mission has not noticed any evidence of indirect involvement of Armenian authorities..."
At the same time, the observers have established the fact that the overwhelming majority of inhabitants have come from different parts of Azerbaijan, particularly Getashen, Sumgait, Baku and Shahumyan region which is currently controlled by Azerbaijan. They have mentioned that the majority of interviewed people wished to return to their native regions.
The only region where the mission members really mentioned certain traces of more or less organized migration policy was Lachin. However the observers explain that mentioning the special status of that region which connects Karabakh to Armenia. "In previous negotiations Lachin was viewed as a separate question since it is a humanitarian corridor assuring security of Nagorno-Karabakh.", mission members mention. The mission has already established that in the other regions of security zone (except Lachin) there are around 4000 people. Commenting on the number of people the observers compare that with the number of Armenians banished from Azerbaijan. "The number of inhabitants is insignificant taking into account the fact that the number of Armenian refugees is 400000", it is mentioned in the report.
It is worth reminding that different official and non-official representatives of Azerbaijan state that the regions controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh forces are populated with 30-300 thousand of Armenians. The deputy Foreign Minister, personal representative of Ilham Aliev in the negotiations on Karabakh Araz Azimov has given the precise number - 36 thousand. In reality there were 9 times as less Armenians. But the main thing that is established by the monitoring is the fact that Armenians do not have any intention to create conditions for the annexation of those regions. The control over those regions is necessary only for security purposes. Otherwise, Yerevan and Stepanakert would really carry out a policy for populating the regions.
Official Yerevan is pleased with the report. This can be proved by the recent announcement of Armenian foreign ministry. The foreign ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh does not hurry to make estimations, but in Stepanakert the report is considered an objective one. Though the authorities of Azerbaijan have not expressed their attitude towards the document, it is quite obvious that Baku is not satisfied with the conclusions of observers. The deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov stated that he does not accept the separation of Armenian and Karabakh authorities. He criticized the statement of OSCE Secretary General who commenting on the report said that the questions connected with the population should be addressed to the authorities of NKR and not Armenia. According to Azimov that statement was made by the order of co-chairmen.
The report is submitted. What will happen after it is made public? In Azerbaijan there may be a burst of provocations against OSCE, accusing them of biased approach and incapability to achieve settlement of Karabakh conflict. It should be reminded that yet before the start of the mission Azeri radicals assured that they were getting ready for protest actions. Thus, it is obvious that the conclusions of experts are not a surprise for them. Araz Azimov mentioned several times that if the report is not convenient for Azeri authorities, they will give up their promise not to arise the question on the situation in lower Karabakh in UN. However in the current situation the attempts of official Baku to return to the consideration of the problem in UN are absolutely hopeless. Their attempts to raise the question of delegating a new mission to security zone also have no future. However, the demand to form a similar mission for the monitoring of the situation in the regions of NKR occupied by Azerbaijan looks quite logical. Yerevan has already applied to OSCE permanent council with the initiative to delegate a group of experts to the captured regions of Shahumyan and Getashen, as well as former Armenian villages to the north of Martakert and to the east of Martouni. Let us wait and see the reaction of Azerbaijan to this proposal.
Artyom Yerkanyan
"The mission has not established that the population is a result of Armenian policy"
"The mission has not noticed any evidence of indirect involvement of Armenian authorities..."
At the same time, the observers have established the fact that the overwhelming majority of inhabitants have come from different parts of Azerbaijan, particularly Getashen, Sumgait, Baku and Shahumyan region which is currently controlled by Azerbaijan. They have mentioned that the majority of interviewed people wished to return to their native regions.
The only region where the mission members really mentioned certain traces of more or less organized migration policy was Lachin. However the observers explain that mentioning the special status of that region which connects Karabakh to Armenia. "In previous negotiations Lachin was viewed as a separate question since it is a humanitarian corridor assuring security of Nagorno-Karabakh.", mission members mention. The mission has already established that in the other regions of security zone (except Lachin) there are around 4000 people. Commenting on the number of people the observers compare that with the number of Armenians banished from Azerbaijan. "The number of inhabitants is insignificant taking into account the fact that the number of Armenian refugees is 400000", it is mentioned in the report.
It is worth reminding that different official and non-official representatives of Azerbaijan state that the regions controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh forces are populated with 30-300 thousand of Armenians. The deputy Foreign Minister, personal representative of Ilham Aliev in the negotiations on Karabakh Araz Azimov has given the precise number - 36 thousand. In reality there were 9 times as less Armenians. But the main thing that is established by the monitoring is the fact that Armenians do not have any intention to create conditions for the annexation of those regions. The control over those regions is necessary only for security purposes. Otherwise, Yerevan and Stepanakert would really carry out a policy for populating the regions.
Official Yerevan is pleased with the report. This can be proved by the recent announcement of Armenian foreign ministry. The foreign ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh does not hurry to make estimations, but in Stepanakert the report is considered an objective one. Though the authorities of Azerbaijan have not expressed their attitude towards the document, it is quite obvious that Baku is not satisfied with the conclusions of observers. The deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov stated that he does not accept the separation of Armenian and Karabakh authorities. He criticized the statement of OSCE Secretary General who commenting on the report said that the questions connected with the population should be addressed to the authorities of NKR and not Armenia. According to Azimov that statement was made by the order of co-chairmen.
The report is submitted. What will happen after it is made public? In Azerbaijan there may be a burst of provocations against OSCE, accusing them of biased approach and incapability to achieve settlement of Karabakh conflict. It should be reminded that yet before the start of the mission Azeri radicals assured that they were getting ready for protest actions. Thus, it is obvious that the conclusions of experts are not a surprise for them. Araz Azimov mentioned several times that if the report is not convenient for Azeri authorities, they will give up their promise not to arise the question on the situation in lower Karabakh in UN. However in the current situation the attempts of official Baku to return to the consideration of the problem in UN are absolutely hopeless. Their attempts to raise the question of delegating a new mission to security zone also have no future. However, the demand to form a similar mission for the monitoring of the situation in the regions of NKR occupied by Azerbaijan looks quite logical. Yerevan has already applied to OSCE permanent council with the initiative to delegate a group of experts to the captured regions of Shahumyan and Getashen, as well as former Armenian villages to the north of Martakert and to the east of Martouni. Let us wait and see the reaction of Azerbaijan to this proposal.
Artyom Yerkanyan
