The functionaries of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs are convinced that the OSCE Fact-Finding Mission to the territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh has confirmed the fact of settling the seized territories. The statement issued by the Azeri MFA says that unfavorable climatic conditions, tough terms and “artificial obstacles” prevented the mission from visiting all the places. Baku is extremely concerned over “the organized settling of Lachin, where Armenians did not live earlier.” The Azeri party presented a figure of 13 000 people, while according to the data provided by the Mission the number of people makes 8-11 thousand. Meanwhile the Minsk Group Co-Chairs noted that “Lachin is a separate issue” as it is considered to be a humanitarian corridor without which Karabakh would become an isolated enclave. The issue of Lachin is viewed taking into consideration its geographical and political realities as well as its importance from the point of view of Karabakh’s security, the Co-Chairs stress. As for the accusations of the Azeri party regarding the settling policy pursued by the Armenian government, according to the MG Co-Chairs’ statement, “the Mission did not establish that the settling is proceeding due to Armenia’s purposeful policy.” Despite this the statement issued by the Azeri MFA says, “though the Mission does not give a direct answer to this question, its report as well as the materials provided by the Azeri party, including the statements of high rank officials of the Republic of Armenia testify of the support to the settling process. If the Mission did not find direct evidence it means that Armenia was acting via the Karabakh separatists”, the statement if the Azerbaijani MFA says.
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