Fires in NKR – Baku’s Awkward Attempt to Draw Veil over Aggression Act

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.07.2006 16:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "From the beginning of June 2006 the fires on
Nagorno Karabakh territory bordering with Azerbaijan have been taking
place. The situation is a subject of serious anxiety for Karabakh
authorities as it poses a threat for the security of the NKR and
its population," says the statement issued by the NKR Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

"A special commission for studying circumstances and revealing reasons
of the inflammation was established in the NKR. Representatives
of ministries and departments responsible for security issues were
in the commission. For the purpose of localization the centers of
the inflammation and non-admission of fire spreading the subunits
of fire-prevention service and the NKR Department for Emergency
Situations, as well as the leadership of local administrations and
population were mobilized. A twenty-four-hour duty was organized in
all the communities with the object of averting emergency situations.

Nevertheless, the situation in these regions, which in connection
with the ongoing fires is becoming worse, is fraught with unfavorable
long-term consequences for agriculture and food security of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. The number and area of the fires of wheat fields
in the adjoining with Azerbaijan territories have sharply risen.

As a result of the work of the NKR special commission, the
incontestable data, indicating the fact that the reasons of the
fires were intentional hostile activities of Azerbaijani side,
were received. By these actions the official Baku pursues a goal to
undermine the economy of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and prevent from
advancing development. For screening its activities the authorities
of Azerbaijan from the very outset launched a wide-ranging propaganda
trying to lay the blame on Karabakh side both in local and foreign
mass media, which is a continuation of a propaganda and psychological
war against the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and is an
awkward attempt to draw a veil over the aggression act.

We would like to remind that as early as 2001 the leadership of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic suggested through the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairmen on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement a package of
steps on establishing confidence between the parties to the conflict,
in particular, cooperation on non-admission of ignition of pastures
and agricultural lands in the adjoining regions to Azerbaijani side.
Unfortunately, at that time the initiative of the official Stepanakert
was not supported in Baku and was not honored with proper attention by
the OSCE Minsk Group. Moreover, as early as June 15, 2006, the NKR
Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed to the Office of the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in Office with a request to conduct
a crisis-monitoring in the territory bordering with Azerbaijan to
estimate the real situation on the spot and disprove far-fetched
accusations of Azerbaijani side.

We would like to draw the attention of the international community
and, in particular, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to the
circumstance that if they do not to take measures concerning the
hostile activities of Azerbaijan the official Stepanakert will have
the right to undertake adequate corresponding activities for ensuring
security of the republic," the statement says.