Updated after first paragraph (first version was posted at 17:40)
Azerbaijan , Baku, May 12 / Trend /
The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) has sent a letter of protest to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen Bernard Fassier (France), Igor Popov (Russia) and Robert Bradtke (U.S) in connection with the resettlement of Armenian families from foreign countries and their settling in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the website of the ruling party said.
A copy of the letter will be submitted to President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Petros Efthymiou.
Drawing attention to the media reports about the resettlement of more than 200 Armenian families from Kyrgyzstan to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, the letter reads that the issue of Armenian illegal settlements in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan was discussed at UN and other international organizations many times. The OSCE fact-finding mission said in its official report last year that about 15,000 Armenians were illegally resettled in the Azerbaijani territories.
"While intensive and successive negotiations are going on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group, organizing "new Armenian settlement" in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan can seriously damage these negotiations. An attempt to artificially change the demographic situation in this occupied territory, which has been cleansed from Azerbaijanis, is aimed at strengthening Armenia's aggressive policy," the letter reads.
The letter states that artificial "armenization" of Azerbaijan's occupied territories is the repeat of history. In the 40-50s of the past century the Soviet government deported Armenian citizens of Azerbaijani origin to Azerbaijan and managed to change the demographic situation of Armenia through settling Armenians from foreign countries in these territories. An attempt is being made to repeat the history.
The protest letter of NAP says that the action of the Armenian side violates the norms and principles of the international law, runs counter to the four known resolutions of the UN Security Council, decisions of the Council of Europe and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Azerbaijani people reject the policy of settlement in Azerbaijani territories and do not intend to accept its legal results.
"The New Azerbaijan Party expresses deep concern of the Azerbaijani people over the settlement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, calls on OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to condemn unambiguously the "policy of settlement" that negates the results of the peace talks and impedes the constructive efforts towards the peaceful solution of the conflict and to take steps to prevent its negative results in time," the letter reads.