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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SET TO SEND INVESTIGATION TEAM TO DJULFA
[09:07 pm] 07 April, 2006
STRASBURG (FRANCE) – Speaking at an official conference on Thursday,
April 6th, the President of the European Parliament was joined by the
leaders of its political parties in strongly approving the body’s
decision to send a delegation in Djulfa, in the Nakhichevan region of
Azerbaijan.
The aim of the mission is to investigate the destruction by Azerbaijan
of the Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, a treasure of world architectural
heritage that was effectively destroyed and replaced by an Azerbaijani
military facility.
The EP leaders unanimously decided to entrust this mission to the
Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation rather than to an
ad-hoc delegation, as it had initially been planned.
The mission is being sent in accordance with the Parliament’s
resolution “on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan,” which was adopted in
February of 2006 (P6_TA(2006)0069). This measure “demands that
Azerbaijan allow missions, including experts working with ICOMOS, who
are dedicated to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in
particular Armenian heritage, onto its territory, and that it also
allow a European Parliament delegation to visit the archaeological
site at Djulfa.”
The delegation will be composed of ten Members of the European
Parliament (MEP) who are members of the Commission of EU-Armenia
parliamentary cooperation group. They are set to travel to Djulfa as
part of their trip to Armenia from April 17th to 21st. Prior to
travelling to Djulfa, they will need to get the necessary
authorisations from the Azerbaijani authorities, the same authorities
responsible for the desecration of the cemetery.
The delegation will include the following MEPs:
Mme Marie-Anne Isler-Béguin, présidente (Verts, France)
M. Arpad Duka-Zolyomi, vice-président (PPE, Slovaquie)
M. Alessandro Battilocchio (NI, Italie)
M. Johannes Blokand (IND/DEM, Pays-Bas)
Mme Frederika Brepoels (PPE, Belgique)
M. Robert Evans (PSE, R.-U.)
Mme Siiri Oviir (ALDE, Estonie)
Mme Gabriele Stauer (PPE, Allemagne)
M. Hannes Swoboda (PSE, Autriche)
M. Tadeusz Zwiefka (PPE, Pologne)