Settlers in Karabakh say they will be happy to go back – TV

Artsakh Public TV, Stepanakert
2 Feb 05

Today the OSCE fact-finding mission continued its visits to the
regions controlled by Armenian forces.

Today, it was a bit different from other days since this time
journalists were allowed to accompany the group and less places were
visited, while previous visits had been very hectic and tiring.

In Agdam, the group stopped at an Azerbaijani mosque and inspected it
for some time. Afterwards they spoke to some herdsmen. They spoke to
people without the presence of journalists.

The next stop on the way to Mardakert was the village of Nor
Maraga. People living there are from Maraga that is currently under
Azerbaijani occupation. They said that they would be happy to return
to their native village once it was possible. Until then they have no
other place to go. There, too, the group talked to people
individually.

Asked by journalists whether the information they had been provided by
the Azerbaijani side was true, [head of the mission] Ms [Emily]
Margarethe Haber said that it was early to make any judgments as
yet. We will have to sit and talk, all of us, to analyse the facts we
have found once our mission is over and only after that we will be
able to say something in this regard, she said.

Asked whether the group would also visit the north of Karabakh,
currently under Azerbaijani occupation, Margarethe Haber answered that
they were a technical group and that they did what they were asked
to. It is up to the OSCE to decide what they should do.

The group is continuing visits to the remaining districts.