Today, Azerbaijan
June 18 2005

UNESCO recommended official Baku to appeal Armenia for stopping
archaeological excavations in Shusha

18 June 2005 [09:53] – Today.Az

The minister of culture Polad Bulbuloglu appealed to the several
international organizations including the general director of
UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura few time before in connection with stopping
archaeological excavations held by the Armenians in Shusha.

According to the information entered APA from the press-service of the
ministry, the deputy on culture of the general director of UNESCO Munir
Bushenaki has already sent a letter in reply to the culture minister.

It is informed in the letter that all information given by the
Secretariat of UNESCO was investigated in every detail: “I must inform
with the feeling of regret that the secretariat of UNESCO was warned
not to send any mission to the region in the frame in connection with
the work of other agencies of UNO. That is why the authorities of
the organization in rendering assistance on protecting the cultural
values are limited to the last extent at the present time”.

It was also noted in the response letter that the excavations violating
the Hague Convention were illegal: “As to this question, I would like
to inform that the Secretariat does not have such special authority as
elucidating its existence to the convention. Except the truce procedure
considered in the 22nd article of the convention, there is no special
mechanism for solving the conflicts related to its propositions and
commentary. Even this article can not also be applied in definite form
as the protector state was not appointed. If there is a need of urgent
interference in the territory damaged and occupied as the result of the
military operations for protecting such values located in the territory
and the authoritative national government of the occupied territory can
not provide it, the invader country is required to cooperate closely
with the government of the occupied territory in the direction of
realizing most urgent measures for protecting these values”.

M.Bushenaki informed with the feeling of regret in the end of the
letter that the Secretariat would not be able to help Shusha city to
enter the International Register of the Culture Values being under
Special Protection. He explained this step according to the 13(2)
article of the Execution Regulations of the Hague Convention such
inquiries had to be made by the country which had occupied the
territories where the culture values were situated.

/APA/

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