REPORT OF OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO LIBERATED TERRITORIES WILL
HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF KARABAH CONFLICT,
SAYS ARMENIAN FM
YEREVAN, MARCH 21. ARMINFO. The report of OSCE fact-finding mission to
the liberated territories will have a positive impact on the process of
peaceful settlement of Karabah conflict, says Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan in his interview to the Armenian Public Television.
He says that due to the activity of OSCE mission, the arguments
of Azerbaijan proved to be left aside. At the same time, it has
become evident that the problem of refugees is a mutual problem
as Azerbaijan has always stated that there is only the problem of
Azerbaijani refugees. Meanwhile, OSCE mission has proved that in
spite of the small number of people residing in these territories,
majority of them are Armenian refugees from Azerbaijani territories.
All this allowed the Armenian party to demand a similar mission to
the territories wherefrom they were expelled – Shahumyan region,
Northern Mardakert, Eastern Martuni. This issue becomes more and more
urgent and it will work against Azerbaijan. However, this issue will
not become an obstacle for the negotiation process, the minister says.
He notes that everything depends on further steps of Azerbaijan,
as it was well aware that the problem of Armenian refugees exists.
Azerbaijan tried to move the problem to the field of the UN, but it
failed, then the OSCE mission was invited and here is the result.
Everything depends on how Azerbaijan will try to speculate on all
this. Armenia’s position here is evident – if the issue is moved to
the UN field, Azerbaijan will have to deal with Nagorny Karabakh not
with Armenia, Oskanyan says.
In response to those native political figures who express regret in
connection that the above territories are not settled with Armenian
refugees, the minister says that it is the very issue wherein Armenia
must not feel itself in a role of a side defending or justifying
itself, “that’s a bit too tick!’ Armenia has never refused from
helping its homeless compatriots, as they had no elementary shelter
and they want to return to their homes, to Mardakert, Shahumyan and
others which are part of Karabakh. Armenia’s participation in the
problem’s solution could not and cannot work against the Armenia side,
even on the contrary. Well, the OSCE mission has already called in
its report to refrain from settlement of the liberated territories,
but there are specific proposals to the Azerbaijani side as well. And
if realized, these proposals can be useful both for Armenian refugees
and the whole settlement process, the minister says.