POLITICS
DOCUMENT CONDEMNING ARMENIAN VANDALISM TO BE PREPARED
Edward O`Hara, PACE Rapporteur for Cultural Heritage in the South Caucasus, met Friday with Rafael Huseynov and Raffi Hovanisyan, Azerbaijani and Armenian members of the PACE Committee on Science, Education and Culture, ahead of his visit to the region slated for later in 2008. Head of the Committee`s Secretariat Christopher Grayson and head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Samad Seyidov were also present at the meeting.
“He is scheduled to visit the three South Caucasus countries. Azerbaijan calls for monitoring the situation of cultural heritage not only in Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven other occupied regions, but also the territory of Armenia where Azerbaijanis used to live in compact communities” said MP Rafael Huseynov, commenting on the results of discussions
According to the principle agreed by O`Hara and the Committee, the sides are to compile a list and map of monuments in order to ease inspection. We will present the lists including Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied adjacent territories. It will cover Armenian territory too.
Undoubtedly, some of the monuments reflected in this list were destructed and misappropriated by Armenians. We will enclose historical photos and documents to this map. The exact date of the visit will be fixed after PACE Committee`s consultations with Azerbaijani and Armenian sides.