EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WARNS ARMENIA OVER DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT AZERI SITES

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 28 2006

Baku, March 27, AssA-Irada
The European Parliament has warned Armenia not to destroy Azerbaijani
historic and cultural sites, officials say.

“The demand was laid out in a letter sent by the foreign relations
committee chairman Elmar Brok to the Azeri representation in the EU,”
an official from Azerbaijan’s embassy in Belgium, Huseyn Huseynov,
told local ANS TV channel.

With regard to the recent resolution of the European Parliament
concerning the alleged destruction of ancient Armenian graves in
Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan, which drew fire from Azeri
officials, the letter said this does not mean the legislative body
adheres to a position against Azerbaijan. The document unequivocally
stated that the adoption of the resolution was a result of the Armenian
Diaspora’s activity, Huseynov said.

“The overall environment suggests that the resolution does not
reflect the European Parliament’s stance and is strictly a position
of staunch Christians.”

The diplomat said the committee chairman also pledged that the European
Parliament will not pass any one-sided decisions any more.

The Azeri government should step up its activity to prevent this from
happening in the future, he added.