Armenian MP denies report on hearings into destruction of Azeri cultural sites
Arminfo
6 Dec 04
Yerevan, 6 December: A representative of the Armenian delegation to
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE], Shavarsh
Kocharyan, has denied Azerbaijani media reports suggesting that the
issue of the “destruction of Azerbaijani cultural monuments” was
discussed during a joint meeting of the PACE committees on culture,
science and education in Paris on 3 December.
Shavarsh Kocharyan has told Arminfo that meetings of the subcommittee
on issues of cultural heritage, the committee on issues of science
and education, as well as hearings on the issue of “Religion, culture
and education” were held in Paris on 3 December. He said no issues
concerning Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh had been discussed
during these meetings.
Let’s recall that earlier the Baku media carried reports suggesting
that during a joint meeting of the PACE committees on culture,
science and education Azerbaijani MP Rafael Huseynov had allegedly
drawn the attention of European MPs to “the Nagornyy Karabakh problem,
the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and the ensuing destruction and
desecration of cultural monuments and graves”. Huseynov also said he
had allegedly urged “the Council of Europe to take measures against
the most brutal form of Armenian aggression – destruction of the
cultural heritage”.