MASIS MAYILYAN: AZERI HYSTERIA DIRECTED AT SHARPENING THE SITUATION IN THE CONFLICT ZONE

ArmRadio.am
16.06.2006 14:20

"The recent propagandistic hysteria undertaken by Azeri media, which
asserts that arsons are committed in settlements under the control of
NKR Armed Forces, is aimed at sharpening the situation in the conflict
zone and deepening mutual distrast," declared Deputy Foreign Minister
of Nagorno-Karabakh Masis Mayilyan.

According to NKR Deputy Foreign Minister, at the same time Azeri
authorities try to divert the attention of the international
community from the facts of destruction of Armenian historical and
cultural monuments on the territory of current Azerbaijan, which is
particularly evidenced by the demolition of Armenian khachkars in Old
Jugha. Moreover, fires often occur in lowlands of Nagorno-Karabakh
in dry summer weather, the elimination of which is hindered by the
lack of security guarantees for firemen and the constant firing at
the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Other reasons of inflammation of the
dry grasslands are the gunfire opened from Azeri positions, as well
as conflagration of grass on the neutral territories separating NKR
from Azerbaijan by Azeri soldiers.

On this occasion on June 15 NKR Ministry of Foreign affairs applied the
Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
demanding to carry out a crisis monitoring at the border with
Azerbaijan to assess the real situation and to refute the false
condemnations of the Azeri side. On its part, NKR Foreign Ministry
has expressed the readiness to provide assistance to the OSCE Mission
to carry out the monitoring and to guarantee the security of its
participants in the territories under NKR control.

"I’d like to remind that still a few years ago through the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh suggested
Azerbaijan to develop a bilateral mechanism to coordinate the efforts
of resolving issues of this kind, particularly the conflagration of
grasslands in borderline regions.

Unfortunately, the initiative of official Stepanakert did not find
support in Baku, which speaks about the lack of political will of
the Azeri leadership in resolving issues of bilateral interest,"
said NKR Deputy Foreign Minister.