July 12, 2006 - 15:24 AMT
Azeri Side Statements Cast Shadow on OSCE Monitoring Mission
The village of Talish of Mardakert region of NKR is a historical Armenian settlement and it's absurd to suppose that Armenians demolish and set fire to their homes, head of the department of information and propaganda at the NKR Defense Ministry, lieutenant colonel Senor Asratyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter when commenting on the reports of Azeri Press new agency which said that "no single construction was left in the village Talish after the fires set by Armenians."

In his words, the village was reconstructed upon completion of hostilities and now its residents cultivate agricultural products.

Senor Asratyan underscored that such propagandistic statements by the Azeri side are primitive and meant for ignorant people. He also remarked that these statements cast a shadow on the OSCE Monitoring Mission, which contributes to the maintenance of the ceasefire. "As for the fires, people all over the world know that the inflammation of dry grass is quite possible over heat and lack of precipitation," he said.