Foreign

Foreign

Azerbaijanâ€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs comments on OSCE FAM report

28 March 2011 08:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued comments on the OSCE Field Assessment Missionâ€™s report on the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan surrounding its Nagorno Karabakh region, press service of the ministry told APA. Upon the request of the Republic of Azerbaijan, concerned about continued illegal activities perpetrated by the Republic of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including the illegal settlement practices, economic exploitation and devastation of these territories, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs conducted a Field Assessment Mission (FAM) to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan surrounding its Nagorno-Karabakh region from October 7-12 2010, with the aim to assess the overall situation there.

The Co-Chairs were joined by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and his team, two experts from the UNHCR and one member of the 2005 OSCE Fact-Finding Mission.

The FAM revealed once again the continuation of the policy of illegal settlement by the ethnic Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as well as infrastructure changes and economic activities conducted in these territories in violation of Forth Geneva Convention and additional Protocols relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, to which Armenia joined in 1993.

According to the visual appraisal and information provided by the locals, the number of illegal Armenian settlers in the occupied seven districts of Azerbaijan is roughly estimated by the Mission as 14.000 persons. Some of these settlers live in rehabilitated or newly constructed housing. According to the FAM observations a number of administrative, educational and medical buildings visited by the Mission in the occupied territories were constructed and/or equipped with the outside financial support of Armenian diaspora.

With regard to the infrastructure changes, the FAMâ€™s assessment finds that the efforts have been made to develop infrastructure, especially the supply of electricity and drinking water. All except the most remote settlements visited by the FAM were supplied with electricity. In the Sabukhchai river valley north of Lachin city, a 2.2 MW hydro-electric power station was observed. It is part of a plan to construct 25 such micro-hydroelectric stations. Several settlements feature small gas pipelines to provide heating, which residents noted had been installed within the past five years. In contrast to 2005, mobile phone connectivity is possible in most regions visited by the FAM.

It has also been observed by the FAM that the administrative boundaries of the occupied territories have been extensively redrawn. This redrawing of the boundaries has involved both the renaming of some districts and reassigning of lands that were in the occupied territories. Furthermore, Armenians change the historical names of Azerbaijani sites and settlements, applying their names to them. Thus, the name of the city of Agdam, which had as many as 70.000 inhabitants prior to the conflict, is not even mentioned in the Armenian maps or road signs.

A matter of specific concern is the FAMâ€™s conclusion that the potential for future returns by those currently displaced in other parts of Azerbaijan is greatly complicated not only by continued occupation of the territories but also by the ruined state of these regions. Nearly all private and commercial property of former inhabitants has been destroyed. The regions do not offer conditions suitable for return. Any significant return of the original population would have to be proceeded by large scale rebuilding of housing and basic infrastructure.

It should be noted that the time pressure, limited number of personnel and movement hindrances have prevented the Mission from making a more comprehensive assessments and profound analysis of the situation in the occupied territories. However, the existing facts on the ground were so outrageous and grave that even with the problems that the mission faced during its visit, the findings of the FAM provided in the report have been unavoidable.

The FAMâ€™s findings reconfirmed the validity of the concern of Azerbaijan over the continuation of illegal activities in its occupied territories. Its observations confirmed once again the attempts of Armenia to consolidate the current status quo of the occupation which violate the fundamental norms and principles, and in particular the principle of non use of force.

These findings and observations were noted by the Co-Chairs still in 2005, when they appealed in their recommendations that â€œany further settlement of the occupied territories should be discouragedâ€ and "prolonged continuation of this situation could lead to a fait accompli that would seriously complicate the peace process". The Co-Chairs express the same concern and repeat the same appeal in their current recommendations. Alas, over the past six years Armenia did not follow the Co-Chairsâ€™ appeal, continuing to disregard the principles of the conflict settlement.

Azerbaijan draws attention to the major statement of the FAM that the status-quo in the occupied territories is unacceptable and urges Armenia to put an end to its illegal practices continuing in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan wants to make it clear that the continuous policy of Armenia in this direction shall not be tolerated.

The presence of illegal settlers in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan hampers the ongoing negotiations and seriously undermines the prospects of achieving a lasting solution to the conflict. That is why this problem needs to be addressed in a prompt and proper manner.

The durable solution of the conflict can be achieved only through the return of all forcibly expelled Azerbaijani population from the all occupied territories to the places of their origin. The situation currently existed in the occupied territories can not be presented as any kind of pretext for any delay in withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from these territories and their rehabilitation.

Azerbaijan supports the Co-Chairs appeal to avoid any activities in the occupied territories that would change the demographic, social, or cultural character of areas affected by the conflict (such as continued illegal settlement, infrastructure developments, economic exploitation, cultural changes, etc), or would make it impossible to reverse the status-quo and achieve a peaceful settlement.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Field Assessment Mission and the Co-Chairs’ recommendations lay a foundation for further review and resolution of this problem. Azerbaijan assures to the strong support of the international community on putting an end to the occupation of its territories. Azerbaijan agrees with the worldwide understanding that the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied lands and restoration of its territorial integrity will strongly diminish serious risks and challenges that exist in the region and will open the door not only for the peaceful coexistence, but as well for the development and prosperity of everyone.