UN mission in Nagorno-Karbakh too late - Armenian MP

ArmInfo.The UN mission in Nagorno-Karabakh is too late, stated Sargis Khandalian, Chairman of  the Foreign Relations Commission, RA Parliament. 

Yesterday, for the first time in the last three decades, a UN mission  arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh.  Summing up the results of the one-day  visit, conducted under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator  in Azerbaijan, the UN mission noted that, according to the data it  received, there are from 50 to 1 thousand Armenians left in  Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, UN officials said they had not  heard any reports of violence against civilians since the latest  truce, either from local people interviewed or from their  interlocutors. The authors of the statement also noted that in the  places they visited, they found no damage or destruction of civil and  agricultural infrastructure, as well as dead livestock or domestic  animals.

"For 10 months we talked about the policy of ethnic cleansing carried  out by Azerbaijan, called on the UN mission to go to Nagorno-Karabakh  and carry out work on the spot to collect factors, but these calls  were not heard, for various reasons. The recent visit of UN  representatives to Nagorno-Karabakh is overdue. I hope that the UN  mission will record that ethnic cleansing has occurred in  Nagorno-Karabakh and will use its tools," Mr Khandalian said. 

He also called the wording in the statement of the UN mission  abnormal. "This causes bewilderment and regret. Ethnic cleansing is  not only destruction," he pointed out, noting that the population of  Artsakh moved to Armenia as a result of military aggression and a  10-month blockade and humanitarian crisis.

The international community must give a clear assessment of  Azerbaijan's actions - ethnic cleansing with all the ensuing  consequences, the deputy believes. Answering the corresponding  question, Khandanyan noted that he does not yet see the possibility  of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh returning to their homes, and  it is premature to talk about this.