ARMENIA EXPORTS WOODS CUT IN NK – ARIF ISGANDAROV
Author: S.Aliyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006

“The woods cut in the territory of Azerbaijani reserve in Zangelan
District, which is under occupation of Armenia, is exported to
Italy, France, Greece and Iran,” Arif Isgandarov, the head of the
Ecology and Nature Protection Policy Department of the Azerbaijani
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, told Trend in an exclusive
interview. The woods are used in different purposes, including
manufacturing of furniture and ship-building.

At present the price of wood material is $1,000 per 1000 cu m.

Isgandarov also heads the Operative Center on Definition (observation)
of Destructive Impact on the Environment and Natural Resources on
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

Mahabbat Gurbanov, the head of the Zangilan Bureau of the Ministry
of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mahabbat Gurbanov, at present the
valuable species of trees are being cut in the territory of Basitchay
state reserve. “Armenian side terminates a platan forest an only
Europe and the second in the world,” he said.

According to the Director of the Reserve, Khudush Isgandarov, at
present the Armenian side opened a wood processing workshop, which
operates all day. The place of cut trees is fired and frequently
blasted to conceal the traces. The new trees are planted in these
areas. The Ministry obtained the information from Iran, which borders
with Zangilan District and Azerbaijani citizens who were in Armenian
captivity earlier. Moreover, the Ministry has photos and video
materials on then occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

The Director of the Reserve noted that reserves and platans that are
in this forest were included in the Red Book. They are also included
in the Red Book of Armenia. Some platans existing in the territory
of Armenia are preserved, whereas they are cut predatorily in the
occupied territory of Azerbaijan.

The trees that grow in this territory age 1500 years. The area of
the reserve was 117h when it was founded in 1974. However, further
it was reduced to 107h.

According to officials of the Ministry, the statement on facts
of termination of relict forest has been repeatedly made at
international conferences. However, no step had been taken against
such ‘ecological terror’. To solve the problem Azerbaijan suggest to
establish an international expert group which will pay an expedition
to the region, hold monitoring and assert the facts submitted by
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a member of a Convention on bio-variety and
maintenance of genetic fund of plantings, which it strictly observes
in difference to Armenia, another member of the convention.

The Operative Center on Definition (observation) of Destructive Impact
on the Environment and Natural Resources on the occupied territory
of Azerbaijan was founded in 2001. Since that period the Center has
developed two reports on environmental impact and an action plan. At
present the Center possesses huge amount of materials confirming the
destructive actions by Armenia on environment and natural resources
of Azerbaijan in the occupied territory.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress