OSCE MINSK GROUP FACT-FINDING MISSION PRESENTED ITS REPORT TO OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL

PanARMENIAN.Net - The OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission has officially presented its report on the settling the territories adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh to the OSCE Permanent Council, IA Regnum reports. On this occasion the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, which says in part, "Armenia appreciates the diligent, hard work of the Minsk Group co-chairs and the members of the Mission. We believe that their detailed, first-hand, objective report clearly describes the situation on the ground in the region. Armenia is pleased that it was able to facilitate the mission. Armenia also wishes to thank the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh for their logistical and practical contributions to the success of the Mission. Armenia believes that the most important accomplishment of the Fact Finding Mission Report is that it has laid to rest Azerbaijan's charges." The Fact Finding Mission Report affirms the following:

a. "Overall settlement is quite limited." "There is no clear organized resettlement, no non-voluntary resettlement, no recruitment."

b. The co-chairs say, "The mission did not determine that such settlement has resulted from a deliberate policy by the government of Armenia." The Report says, "The Fact-Finding Mission has seen no evidence of direct involvement by the authorities of Armenia in the territories."

c. Those settlers who have found refuge in these territories are primarily from regions of Azerbaijan: "The Fact-Finding Mission has concluded that the overwhelming majority of settlers are displaced persons from various parts of Azerbaijan, notably, from Shahumian and Getashen - now under Azerbaijani control."

In light of these conclusions, we note that the total number of settlers is insignificant given that there are over 400,000 Armenian refugees as a result of the conflict. Without those living in Lachin, then the total number of settlers is indeed negligible. The co-chairs have noted that "Lachin has been treated as a separate case in previous negotiations." This is because Lachin is Nagorno Karabakh's humanitarian and security corridor. Without it, Nagorno Karabakh would remain an isolated enclave. It is because of Lachin's political and geographic reality and security dimension, that it is viewed differently in the negotiation process. Furthermore, the co-chairs state: "…most settlers interviewed by the Fact Finding Mission expressed a desire to return to the areas from which they fled…" However, their old homes, in areas which were formerly Armenian-populated, are today under Azerbaijani control, and their homes have been appropriated by Azerbaijanis. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Council Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights "The Committee is concerned about the illegal occupation by refugees and internally displaced persons of properties belonging to Armenians and other ethnic minorities." Armenia, at the request of the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh, has requested that the OSCE Permanent Council mandate a fact-finding mission for a similarly transparent assessment of those regions which were formerly largely-Armenian populated, and are today under Azerbaijan's control: the Northern Martakert and Eastern Martuni regions of Nagorno Karabakh, and Shahumian. This process of the Fact Finding Mission began because Azerbaijan claimed there was intentional, massive, coordinated settlement policy, which would harm the negotiation process. Armenia agreed to facilitate a fact-finding mission and Azerbaijan agreed in return not to take any action on its UN resolution and suspend the initiative.