Azeri official critical of OSCE report on settlement of Armenians in Karabakh
Ayna, Baku
18 Mar 05 p 1
Text of S. Mammadov report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 18 March
headlined “Official Baku blames the factfinding mission” and “Araz
Azimov: ‘The statement that the Nagornyy Karabakh leadership is behind
the illegal settlement is illogical'”
The OSCE factfinding mission has submitted its final report on the
illegal settlement of Armenian families in the occupied Azerbaijani
lands to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. The hearings were also
attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and the special envoy of
the OSCE chairman-in-office, Andrzej Kasprzyk.
The adviser to the Azerbaijani ambassador in Vienna, Parviz Sahbazov,
and Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan also attended the
discussions at the OSCE Permanent Council.
The members of the mission reported in detail on their visits,
meetings and conversations with residents in various areas. The
mission does not think that the settlement is being carried out as a
result of the Armenian government’s purposeful policy. They think that
first of all, the Karabakh leadership is responsible for the
settlement.
Richard Murphy, head of the OSCE Press and Public Information Office,
said that the OSCE Permanent Council had backed the mission’s
conclusion. The mission came up with several recommendations, he
said. They stated that any further settlement in the occupied
Azerbaijani lands should be ruled out.
“They also gave a number of recommendations. First, any further
settlement in Azerbaijan’s occupied lands should be ruled out from now
on. Second, educational and cultural facilities, as well as material
and spiritual artefacts should be protected. Third, it is necessary to
take practical measures to restore mutual confidence and trust and
prepare the ground for a peaceful solution to the problem,” he
concluded.
In turn, the presidential envoy for the resolution of the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem and [deputy foreign minister], Araz Azimov, believes
that OSCE spokesman Richard Murphy’s statement that the Nagornyy
Karabakh leadership is responsible for the illegal settlement serves
political interests. He believes that [the OSCE] co-chairmen are
behind this statement and it is illogical.
“Nagornyy Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory. However, Robert
Kocharyan, who led separatism in Karabakh, is Armenia’s president now,
and Serzh Sarkisyan, who used to live in Nagornyy Karabakh, is
Armenia’s defence minister now,” he said. Based on these facts, Azimov
said that the Nagornyy Karabakh separatists act hand in hand with
Armenia. “All their moves directly depend on official Yerevan’s will,”
he concluded.