NAGORNO KARABAKH MFA: OFFICIAL BAKU PURSUES A GOAL TO ERODE NKR ECONOMY

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 18 2006

Today the Nagorno Karabakh Republic MFA made a statement on the
fires on the Nagorno Karabakh territory bordering to Azerbaijan. The
statement runs, in part:

"The fires on the Nagorno Karabakh territory bordering with Azerbaijan
have been taking place since early June 2006. The situation is a
subject of serious anxiety for the Karabakh leadership, because it
poses a threat for the security of the NKR and its population.

A special commission formed by the representatives of the ministries
and departments responsible for security issues has been established
in the NKR to study the circumstances and reveal the reasons
for the inflammation. The subunits of fire-prevention service,
the NKR Department for Emergency Situations and the leadership of
local administrations and population have been mobilized for the
localization of the centers of the inflammation and non-admission
of fire spreading. A twenty-four-hour duty has been organized in all
the communities to prevent from emergency situations.

However, the situation in the regions that is becoming worse in
connection with the fires is pregnant with unfavorable long-term
consequences for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic agriculture and food
security. The number and area of the fires of wheat fields on the
territories bordering with Azerbaijan have sharply risen.

As a result of the work of the NKR special commission the incontestable
data have been received that indicate that the reasons for the fires
were the Azerbaijani party’s intentional hostile activities. By these
actions the official Baku pursues a goal to erode the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic economy and deprive it of the possibility of advancing
development. To conceal its intentions the Azerbaijani leadership from
the very outset has launched a wide-ranging propaganda both in the
local and foreign mass media, trying to lay the blame on the Karabakh
side, which is a continuation of a propaganda and psychological war
against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic people and is an awkward attempt
to screen the act of aggression.

We would like to remind that as early as in 2001 the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic authorities suggested via the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement a package of measures on
establishing confidence between the conflict parties, in particular,
we offered cooperation on non-admission of inflammation of pastures and
agricultural territories in the bordering regions. To our regret, then
the official Stepanakert’s initiative was not supported in Baku and was
not honored with proper attention by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen.

Moreover, as early as June 15, 2006, the NKR MFA addressed a request
to the Office of the OSCE Chairman-in Office’s Personal Representative
to hold a crisis-monitoring on the territory bordering with Azerbaijan
to estimate the real situation on the spot and refute the Azerbaijani
party’s forced accusations.

We draw the attention of the whole international community and
especially the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen to the circumstance that in
case the measures concerning Azerbaijan’s hostile activities are not
undertaken the official Stepanakert will have the right to undertake
adequate retaliatory activities to ensure the Republic’s security".