BAKU STUDYING REPORTS ON LEBANON ARMENIANS RELOCATION TO GARABAGH

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 24, 2006 Monday

Armenians being evacuated from Lebanon over the ongoing military
operations are settled in Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, an Azeri region
under Armenian occupation, parliament member Ganira Pashayeva has
said. She noted that a scrutiny into the matter is underway. The
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Karapetian has confirmed
that Armenians are being evacuated from this country. He told the press
that first, Armenian citizens, and then ethnic Armenian Lebanese, are
being delivered from Beirut to the Armenian capital Yerevan through
Halab, the second largest city of Syria. Over 300 Armenians have
already been evacuated from Lebanon. According to official sources,
Lebanon is home to 120,000 Armenians. The head of the Azerbaijani
community of Upper Garabagh, Nizami Bahmanov, regarded the ongoing
relocation of Armenians to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
as a consequence of indifference on the part of international
organizations. He did not rule out that Armenians being re-settled
from Lebanon would be relocated primarily to the Lachin, Gubadly,
Kalbajar, and Aghdam Districts. With the rising chances for settling
the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Yerevan is trying to build a live
bridge between Armenia and Upper Garabagh. The Foreign Ministry
spokesman Tahir Taghizada said the Azerbaijani government is aware
of these facts. He said that if the ongoing scrutiny confirms them,
the ministry will put forth a terse stance on the issue before
international organizations.