STATEMENT FOREIGN MINISTRY OF REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ON
RESULTS OF OSCE MINSK GROUP FACT-FINDING MISSION

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMINFO. The OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission
has officially presented its report to the OSCE Permanent Council.
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, says the statement of Armenian
Foreign Ministry.

Further in the document: “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.

At the beginning of this process, Azerbaijan had claimed that a.
There are excessively large numbers of settlers in the territories
surrounding Nagorno Karabakh. At various times, their numbers ranged
from 30,000 to 300,000 even; b. The Republic of Armenia is directly,
intentionally engaged in the so-called settlement process, and even
has a state policy of settlement, with budgetary allocations; c.
Overwhelming majority of settlers are citizens of Armenia, or from
the Diaspora.

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.” “:
populations the Fact-Finding Mission has interviewed, counted or
directly observed are as follows: in Kelbajar District approximately
1,500; in Agdam District from 800 to 1,000, in Fizuli District under
10; in Jebrail District under 100; in Zangelan District from 700 to
1,000; and in Kubatly District from 1,000 to 1,500:In Lachin, the
Fact Finding Mission estimates that there are fewer than 8,000 people
living in the district overall.” 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 (Goranboy) Getashen
(Chaikent)-now under Azerbaijani control – and Sumgait and Baku.”

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 negotiations 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.”