ARMENIA RESTORES CEMETERIES IN FORMER AZERI VILLAGES

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
5 Sep 06

[Presenter] Armenians are replying with great mercy to the destruction
of cultural monuments by Azerbaijan. A cemetery in the village of
Saral in Lori District formerly populated by Azerbaijanis has been
restored. The barbarous destruction of the cross stones at the Armenian
cemetery of Old Juga [the Culfa town in the Azerbaijani exclave of
Naxcivan] still remains in people’s memory. But the pages of our
history and today’s events have ones again showed that the Armenians
are not vindictive people.

[Correspondent over video of cemetery] Sixty-five Azerbaijani
tombstones have been restored in Lori District. The Azerbaijani
cemetery in the village of Nor Khachakab has also been restored. The
Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly examined the
destroyed Azerbaijani cemeteries in Lori District in April. Eighteen
former Azerbaijani-populated villages were inspected and the village
of Saral was chosen for restoration.

[Head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Artur
Sakunts, captioned] We decided that the cemeteries should be restored
first. The cemeteries belong to those people who as a result of the
conflict have left their residence and moved to Azerbaijan.

We have agreed with our Azerbaijani colleagues that they will restore
the Armenian cemeteries in Azerbaijan.

[Correspondent] The local authorities will keep an eye on the
Azerbaijani cemetery. The governor of Nor Khachakap said that the
cemetery would be in the focus of attention and the villagers would
protect it.

[Head of the Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’
Assembly, Arzu Abdullayeva speaking in Russian with Armenian
voice-over] Peace is the result of cooperation and it is made up of
such small inputs.

[Correspondent] About 30 young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Karabakh had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with their
culture in the district’s Gugark camp and speak about peace.

[Passage omitted: participants in the meeting stress the importance
of such meetings]

[Correspondent] The regional programme is being implemented by the
Armenian and Azerbaijani national committees of the Helsinki Citizens’
Assembly, and the aim of the programme is to build confidence through
similar cultural events carried out by different representatives of
the conflicting sides, in particular by young people.

David Ovanesyan, Lilit Georchyan, Vanadzor, "Aylur".

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress