NOTHING TO HIDE FROM THE WORLD

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05

`We have nothing to hide from the international community and we are
ready to show to the OSCE monitoring mission both the regions of the
Republic of Nagorni Karabakh and the regions controlled by the
Karabakh forces.’ The NKR vice foreign minister Masis Mayilian
told this to the news agency `Mediamax’ commenting on the upcoming
visit of the OSCE Minsk Group to Nagorni Karabakh on January 30 aiming
to monitor the situation in the regions under the controlof the
Karabakh authorities. Masis Mayilian reminded that earlier the
Karabakh government invited similar missions to Nagorni Karabakh for a
number of times to get acquainted with the real situation and denying
the groundless accusations of Azerbaijan against NKR. `We commend the
visit of the OSCE monitoring group to Nagorni Karabakh and are ready
to assist to the works of the group in anyway,’ said the vice
minister. In reference to the situation in the regions controlled by
the Karabakh side Masis Mayilian said, `In the framework of our state
program re-settlement is implemented within the boundaries of the
NKR.’ At the same time he emphasized that the Azerbaijani side
makes attempts to accuse the NKR authorities of re-settlement in the
territories outside the republic, i.e. the territories forming the
security area around Nagorni Karabakh. Many international
organizations, whose representatives have had the opportunityto visit
these territories, know that here mainly refugees from Azerbaijan
live, whose number is insignificant compared to the former population
of these regions. According to him, after being forced out from
Azerbaijan people settled these regions not having normal living
conditions. The vice foreign minister mentioned that the role of the
government is confined to maintaining control over these territories,
which is successfully implemented. Masis Mayilian endorses the
necessity of forming a similar group and to monitor the territories
occupied by Azerbaijan forming 15 per cent of NKR, which will,
according to him, enable the OSCE mission to have an objective idea of
the situation in the territories controlled by the parties of the
Karabakh conflict. The meetings of the monitoring group, as well as
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen with NKR president Arkady Ghukassian
are planned in the framework of the visit.

AA.
26-01-2005