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OSCE ASSESSMENT MISSION'S REPORT SUBMITTED TO AZERBAIJANI SIDE (UPDATE)
Trend Daily News
March 15, 2011 Tuesday 7:35 PM GMT +4
Azerbaijan
French co-chair's remarks and background added after the first
paragraph (the first version was posted at 16:20)
Azerbaijan, Baku, March 15 / Trend, V. Zhavoronkova / A report of the
OSCE assessment mission on the situation in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan has been submitted to the Azerbaijani side, the OSCE
Minsk Group's French co-chair Bernard Fassier told journalists before
his departure from Baku.
"OSCE Minsk Group has decided not to publicize the assessment mission's
report on the occupied territories until all sides have been briefed
on its content. The report has been submitted to only Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev yet, who has read it, as the other side,
after which the co-chairs and the conflict sides will discuss its
content during next meeting," Fassier said.
The OSCE assessment mission examined the situation in the Azerbaijani
occupied territories at Azerbaijan's initiative in early October 2010.
The co-chairs also discussed the method of investigation of incidents
at the contact line that occurred before and after three presidents'
summit in Sochi in the light of a declaration signed there.
"Learning about the incident with the child, we issued a press
communique, and started our investigation. The OSCE Special
Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk and his team are engaged in it,"
Fassier said.
He said that the investigation is underway and it is early to speak
about its outcome.
"We've always talked about the need to strengthen the ceasefire. The
co-chairs have been insisting on withdrawal of snipers from the
contact line already for two years. If this request is fulfilled,
such an incident will not happen," Fassier said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. -
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry
Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan met at the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort
near Sochi on March 5.
After the talks, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia
adopted a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. The
document stresses the desire to resolve all disputed issues by peaceful
means and to investigate possible incidents along the ceasefire line,
with the participation of the parties under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen with the assistance of the Special Representative
of the OSCE Chairman.
From: A. Papazian
Trend Daily News
March 15, 2011 Tuesday 7:35 PM GMT +4
Azerbaijan
French co-chair's remarks and background added after the first
paragraph (the first version was posted at 16:20)
Azerbaijan, Baku, March 15 / Trend, V. Zhavoronkova / A report of the
OSCE assessment mission on the situation in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan has been submitted to the Azerbaijani side, the OSCE
Minsk Group's French co-chair Bernard Fassier told journalists before
his departure from Baku.
"OSCE Minsk Group has decided not to publicize the assessment mission's
report on the occupied territories until all sides have been briefed
on its content. The report has been submitted to only Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev yet, who has read it, as the other side,
after which the co-chairs and the conflict sides will discuss its
content during next meeting," Fassier said.
The OSCE assessment mission examined the situation in the Azerbaijani
occupied territories at Azerbaijan's initiative in early October 2010.
The co-chairs also discussed the method of investigation of incidents
at the contact line that occurred before and after three presidents'
summit in Sochi in the light of a declaration signed there.
"Learning about the incident with the child, we issued a press
communique, and started our investigation. The OSCE Special
Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk and his team are engaged in it,"
Fassier said.
He said that the investigation is underway and it is early to speak
about its outcome.
"We've always talked about the need to strengthen the ceasefire. The
co-chairs have been insisting on withdrawal of snipers from the
contact line already for two years. If this request is fulfilled,
such an incident will not happen," Fassier said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. -
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry
Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan met at the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort
near Sochi on March 5.
After the talks, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia
adopted a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. The
document stresses the desire to resolve all disputed issues by peaceful
means and to investigate possible incidents along the ceasefire line,
with the participation of the parties under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen with the assistance of the Special Representative
of the OSCE Chairman.
From: A. Papazian