Azeri Foreign Ministry condemns Armenian excavations in Karabakh
ANS TV, Baku
19 Feb 05
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has released a statement in connection
with the archaeological excavations launched by the separatist Nagornyy
Karabakh regime around the town of Susa.
The statement reads that this arbitrary move by the so-called
government in Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagornyy Karabakh region is an act
of vandalism aimed at falsifying the historical truth in favour of the
Armenians, the head of the ministry’s press service, Matin Mirza, has
said. The recent acts of this kind aimed at changing the demographic
situation and Armenianizing historical and cultural monuments in the
occupied territories show once again the nonconstructive position
of the so-called Armenian government of Nagornyy Karabakh on the
settlement process. These moves are nothing but an attempt to
strengthen the results of aggressive policy.
This arbitrary act, which followed the visit of the OSCE fact-finding
mission to the region, is viewed as an attempt to challenge
international organizations, ignore the accepted laws and display
disrespect for the international community.
The statement goes on to read that the states mediating the peace
process [between Armenia and Azerbaijan] and the international
community as a whole should not remain indifferent to the issue and
demand that the Armenians stop their arbitrary acts in the occupied
territories.