OSCE MISSION CONFIRMED THE ABSURDITY OF ACCUSATION

PanArmenian News
March 21 2005

International experts have verified the fact that Armenians do not
have any plans to populate the territories under control.

The monitoring group that has visited the regions controlled
by Nagorno-Karabakh army has officially reported the results of
observations to the OSCE permanent council. The mission has come
up with certain conclusions concerning the assertions of Azeri
representatives about the population of those regions. The conclusion
is better characterized by the following quotation from the report.
“There are no obvious signs of organized mass settlement, involuntary
movement of people…” Thus it has been proved that the accusations
of official Baku are absolutely groundless.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Here are some extracts from the report that again
confirm that the statements of Azerbaijan are groundless. “Population
is very limited” “The mission has not established that the population
is a result of Armenian policy” “The mission has not noticed any
evidence of indirect involvement of Armenian authorities…”

At the same time, the observers have established the fact that the
overwhelming majority of inhabitants have come from different parts of
Azerbaijan, particularly Getashen, Sumgait, Baku and Shahumyan region
which is currently controlled by Azerbaijan. They have mentioned
that the majority of interviewed people wished to return to their
native regions.

The only region where the mission members really mentioned certain
traces of more or less organized migration policy was Lachin. However
the observers explain that mentioning the special status of that region
which connects Karabakh to Armenia. “In previous negotiations Lachin
was viewed as a separate question since it is a humanitarian corridor
assuring security of Nagorno-Karabakh.”, mission members mention. The
mission has already established that in the other regions of security
zone (except Lachin) there are around 4000 people. Commenting on
the number of people the observers compare that with the number of
Armenians banished from Azerbaijan. “The number of inhabitants is
insignificant taking into account the fact that the number of Armenian
refugees is 400000”, it is mentioned in the report.

It is worth reminding that different official and non-official
representatives of Azerbaijan state that the regions controlled
by Nagorno-Karabakh forces are populated with 30-300 thousand of
Armenians. The deputy Foreign Minister, personal representative of
Ilham Aliev in the negotiations on Karabakh Araz Azimov has given the
precise number ~V 36 thousand. In reality there were 9 times as less
Armenians. But the main thing that is established by the monitoring is
the fact that Armenians do not have any intention to create conditions
for the annexation of those regions. The control over those regions
is necessary only for security purposes. Otherwise, Yerevan and
Stepanakert would really carry out a policy for populating the regions.

Official Yerevan is pleased with the report. This can be proved by
the recent announcement of Armenian foreign ministry. The foreign
ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh does not hurry to make estimations, but
in Stepanakert the report is considered an objective one. Though the
authorities of Azerbaijan have not expressed their attitude towards
the document, it is quite obvious that Baku is not satisfied with the
conclusions of observers. The deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Azerbaijan Araz Azimov stated that he does not accept the separation
of Armenian and Karabakh authorities. He criticized the statement of
OSCE Secretary General who commenting on the report said that the
questions connected with the population should be addressed to the
authorities of NKR and not Armenia. According to Azimov that statement
was made by the order of co-chairmen.

The report is submitted. What will happen after it is made public? In
Azerbaijan there may be a burst of provocations against OSCE, accusing
them of biased approach and incapability to achieve settlement of
Karabakh conflict. It should be reminded that yet before the start of
the mission Azeri radicals assured that they were getting ready for
protest actions. Thus, it is obvious that the conclusions of experts
are not a surprise for them. Araz Azimov mentioned several times
that if the report is not convenient for Azeri authorities, they will
give up their promise not to arise the question on the situation in
lower Karabakh in UN. However in the current situation the attempts of
official Baku to return to the consideration of the problem in UN are
absolutely hopeless. Their attempts to raise the question of delegating
a new mission to security zone also have no future. However, the demand
to form a similar mission for the monitoring of the situation in the
regions of NKR occupied by Azerbaijan looks quite logical. Yerevan
has already applied to OSCE permanent council with the initiative
to delegate a group of experts to the captured regions of Shahumyan
and Getashen, as well as former Armenian villages to the north
of Martakert and to the east of Martouni. Let us wait and see the
reaction of Azerbaijan to this proposal.

Artyom Yerkanyan