AZERI MINISTRY PROTESTS AGAINST KARABAKH STAMPS

Azad Azarbaycan TV
18 Aug 04

BAKU

(Presenter) The separatists of Nagornyy Karabakh, who are striving to
present themselves as a state to the world community, are continuing
to issue stamps. What is most deplorable is that historical monuments
of Azerbaijan are depicted on the stamps, which are issued in
Germany. Objecting to this, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications
and Information Technology intends to have this issue discussed at the
23rd congress of the World Postal Union (WPU), in which Armenians are
also expected to take part.

(Correspondent, over video of Karabakh and the Azerbaijani Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology) Protesting against the
issuance of stamps which introduce the self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic as a state, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology has sent an appeal to the WPU. The appeal says
that this step by the self-styled entity contradicts international law
and, therefore, those stamps should be considered invalid.

(Novruz Mammadov, in office, captioned as the advisor of the Ministry
of Communications and Information Technology for postal issues) I want
to note that Nagornyy Karabakh illegally attempted to produce stamps
several years ago, in 2001. We appealed to the WPU in accordance with
the existing rules and based on this appeal the WPU sent letters to
each of its 200 member states to invalidate those stamps.

(Correspondent) It is the second appeal that the ministry has sent to
the WPU on the matter. Because after the first letter of protest the
self-styled entity continued production of stamps depicting this
year’s calendar. No response has been given to the ministry’s latest
appeal. Mammadov also touched upon the images on the stamps issued for
separatists. He said that the Azerbaijani monuments are touted as
Armenian on the stamps.

(Mammadov) They usually issue stamps dedicated to some monuments in
Karabakh. But, I again say that they are invalid. Azerbaijan
regularly issues stamps dedicated to historical monuments in Nagornyy
Karabakh every year and similarly such stamps were issued in 2004.

(Correspondent) The ministry, which is not confined to this, intends
to take the issue for discussion at the 23rd congress of the WPU, due
in Bucharest, Romania this September. Mr Mammadov said that there were
no postal services at all in the occupied region. Therefore, the
issuance of stamps is just aimed at presenting Karabakh as a state to
the world community, end quote. Armenia is also expected to take part
in the autumn congress of the WPU and Armenian and Azerbaijani
delegations are scheduled to meet during the event .

Farida Agaverdiyeva, Mirtofiq Miralioglu, for “Son Xabar”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress