Russian mediator says Azeri refugees cannot return to Karabakh yet

Arminfo, Yerevan
8 Feb 05

Stepanakert, 8 February: It is still premature to talk about the return
of refugees to their original place of residence, Arminfo has quoted
the Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for the settlement of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Yuri Merzlyakov, as telling a meeting
with refugees deported from Azerbaijan in Stepanakert yesterday. French
Co-Chairman Bernard Fassier and the personal envoy of the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, also took part in the meeting.

“Can you imagine a situation, in which Azerbaijan says that refugees
should return to their homes and the Armenian side supports it,
saying that yes, let them return?! I cannot. It is much the same
way as if Azerbaijan tells Armenian refugees to return to Shaumyan ,
will you return?” the Russian co-chairman asked.

He noted in this regard that issues such as ensuring the basic
private security of returning people and creating the necessary living
conditions for them should be resolved first.

“Since this is not the case, I think these calls are only propaganda
or self-deceit or deception of others,” Merzlyakov said.

Meanwhile, the Russian co-chairman said that the issue of refugees
is a constituent part of the future settlement of the conflict and
cannot be taken lightly.

During the meeting the chairman of the committee for refugees of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Sanasar Saryan, said that the international
community does not help refugees of Nagornyy Karabakh at all, while it
recognizes refugees in Azerbaijan, who, according to statistics, have
received 530m dollars in assistance from international humanitarian
organizations over the past 10 years. In addition, Saryan noted
that the Soviet republic of Armenia paid over 16,000 Azerbaijanis
compensation of approximately 110m dollars for their property left
in Armenia.

“Refugees of Nagornyy Karabakh, who actually number almost half a
million, have been spread around the globe now. They do not have
relevant rights and cannot rely on any benefits,” Saryan said.

In response, Merzlyakov said that “if you think that the mediators
feel somehow detached, you are wrong. We are meeting refugees here
and there and listen to everything that is being said. But on the
other hand, as you understand, we cannot declare that, say, you are
right and you are wrong. We have to be impartial, but you should not
accuse us of having no feelings.”

For his part, Fassier said that he had faced difficulties related
to the problems of refugees in his diplomatic career in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, as well as in Georgia’s Gali District (he used to be
the French ambassador to Georgia) and had seen what happened when
refugees returned in an untimely manner and without the necessary
conditions in place.

“It was useful for me to visit Karabakh and meet people. I found
out that many are living in extremely hard conditions in these
territories. I fully understand your pain. As for the status of
refugees, I do not know yet how to resolve this issue. But I am sure
that it is important to tackle it,” the French mediator said.

[Passage omitted: law in breakaway republic on refugees adopted
last year]