OSCE REPORT STATES: THERE IS NO CLEAR ORGANIZED RESETTLEMENT, NO
NON-VOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT, NO RECRUITMENT

Azg/arm
19 March 05

`The Overwhelming Majority of Settlers Are displaced Persons from
Various Parts of Azerbaijan’

The OSCE Fact-Finding Mission that visited the seven regions
surrounding Nagorno Karabakh on January 30-February 4, has officially
presented its report to the OSCE Permanent Council. In particular, it
is said in the report that “Overall settlement is quite limited,”
“there is no clear organized resettlement, no non-voluntary
resettlement, no recruitment.”

The Fact-Finding Mission affirms the following number of the
population: “In Kelbajar District approximately 1,500; in Aghdam
District from 800 to 1000,in Fizuli District under 10, in Jebrail
District under 100, in Zangelan District from 7000 to 1000; and in
Kubatlu District from 1000 to 1500. In Lachin, the Fact Finding
Mission estimates that there are fewer than 8000 people livingin the
district overall.”

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 Armenian in the territories,” “the overwhelming
majority of the settlers are displaced persons from various parts of
Azerbaijan, notably from Shahumian (Goranboy) Getashen (Chaikent) –
now under Azerbaijani control – and Sumgait and Baku.”

Masis Mailian, NKR deputy foreign minister, accompanied the
fact-finding mission during their visit. In the interview to Azg,
Masis Mailian said that official Stepanakert will give its evaluation
of the report when that will be represented to the Karabakh
side. Mr. Mailian reminded that NKR authoritiesdid everything to
secure all the conditions for the activities of the fact-finding
mission.

David Babayan, political expert from Stepanakert, also accompanied the
fact-finding mission. He said in that the report is an objective one
and reflects the reality. “But it doesn’t mean that Azerbaijan will
give up manipulating with the issue of resettling these
territories. Most likely, Baku will try to make the international
community to force the settlers move to the territory of the former
NKAR or Armenia, explaining this by the fact there are few people
living in these territories,” Babayan said.

Araz Azimov, Azeri deputy foreign minister, said in an interview to
the Baku Ekho that “We already know that the OSCE Fact-Finding Mission
has confirmed the facts of settlement. The report of the mission is
very close to the data Azerbaijan managed to accumulate.”

A press release by RA Foreign Ministry on March 17, says that the OSCE
Fact-Finding Mission denies the claims of Azerbaijan, according to
which “There are exclusively large numbers of settlers in the
territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh. At various times, their
number ranged from 30000 to 300000 even.” “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,” and “the overwhelming majority of the settlers are
citizens of Armenia, or from the Diaspora.”

RA Foreign Ministry stated that the total number of these 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 settlersis 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 geographical reality
and security dimension that it is viewed differently in the
negotiation process,” the statement says.

“Armenia, at the request of Nagorno Karabakh authorities, 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,” the statement says.

It’s worth reminding that 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.”

In particular, the UN Committee pointed out Shahumian and Getashen
region that were formerly Armenian-populated.

By Tatoul Hakobian