PROVOCATIVE INFORMATION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SPREAD IN AZERBAIJAN ON EVE OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: HEAD OF COMMUNITY
Trend News Agency
Aug 6 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 August /Trend News, corr. I.Alizade / The
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh considers that on the eve
of the presidential elections, some forces in Azerbaijan spread
information of provocative character in the connection with the
situation which arose around solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"The purpose of spreading information of provocative character
in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is to reach the
recognition of legitimacy of the present government of Armenia in the
international level and inside country itself," Head of the Azerbaijan
Community, Nizami Bahmanov, told Trend News on 6 August.
Russian press reports that the leadership of the Azerbaijan Community
of Nagorno-Karabakh was moved to Khojavend region, which is located on
the front line, and the process of the returning internally displaced
persons commenced.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
(Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
Bakhmanov did not confirm information on removal of the office of
the Azerbaijan Community of Nagorno-Karabakh to Khjavend region,
which is located on the front line with Armenia.
"In Khjavend region, which is situated on the front line and controlled
by the Azerbaijan army, there are settlements for the internally
displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions occupied,
and at present, in accordance with the order of the President, new
settlement is built there. Some forces, after seeing this, spread
information on removal of the Azerbaijan Community of Nagorno-Karabakh
to the front line," the Head of Community said.
In the opinion Bahmanov, the settlements, built near the front line
for the internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh and other
regions occupied, can be considered the component part of "great
return". Bahmanov noted that the compact settling of the internally
displaced persons will simplify return to the territories freed from
the occupation: "Some forces, which desire to help Armenia, attempt
to form opinion about the fact that supposedly the Armenians freed
occupied territories, and remained only the return of IDPs. This is
provocation," he said.