RUSSIAN ARMENIANS ASK RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO CONDEMN VANDALISM IN NAKHICHEVAN

13: 49 03/21/2006

On March 20, a round table conference “Armenian monuments in
Nakhichevan – objects of Azerbaijani vandalism” took place in
Moscow. As a REGNUM correspondent has been informed in the editorial
staff of Yerkamas Russian Armenian newspaper, leaders of most Armenian
organizations in Russia participated in the conference.

As a result of the conference, the participants issued a statement,
where they condemn barbarous destruction of the Armenian monuments
in Old Juga, Nakhichevan, conducted by the Azerbaijani authorities
in December 2005.

The statement says that these monuments (about 8,000 of unique
cross-stones called “khachkar”) were in the Nakhichevan province,
when it was Armenian territory. When in the Soviet times Nakhichevan
became a part of Azerbaijani territory, almost 4,000 of the monuments
were destroyed.

According to the statement, vandalism stopped only in 1998, because
of UNESCO efforts. But now, when OSCE Minsk Group tries to settle
Nagorno Karabakh problem, official Baku conducted another act of
vandalism in Nakhichevan.

Authors of the statement say, that Azerbaijan also tries to falsify
the history of Russia, Armenia and Caucasus region as a whole,
thus disorienting its own citizens and international communities,
which contradicts to common norms of cultural preservation, and is
classified by the UN Convention of 1948 as an act of genocide.

The statement addresses the Russian government, other authorities
and the Russian Orthodox Church to immediately condemn vandalism and
demand from the Azerbaijani government strict preservation of cultural
heritage of other nations according to international conventions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress