AZERBAIJAN SUFFERED $7 BILLION BY ARMENIAN-OCCUPATION OF LACHIN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 18 2007

Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) and
Public Union for Protection of Rights of Migrants and Internally
Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan held a round table on Lachin is
ancient Azerbaijan territory. He said in the prewar period, 63,000
Azerbaijanis lived in the region of Lachin. Gadir Nasirov, head
of Public Union for Protection of Rights of Migrants and Internally
Displaced Persons made a report on the damages inflicted to Azerbaijan
during Lachin’s occupation.

"During the Armenian occupation , one Azerbaijani city, one settlement
and 125 villages were destroyed, rare forest trees in 34 877 ha
territories were cut down and sold abroad. Azerbaijan suffered totally
$ 7 099 526 500 in result of the occupation of its territories by
Armenian forces.

Head of Association for Protection of Azerbaijan monuments Faig
Ismayilov reported on the subject "Armenian plan for Lachin’s
occupation and its fulfillment". According to him, the occupied
territory was of great strategically importance in the plans of
Armenians and Lachin corridor was connecting Karabakh separatists
with Armenia. He said there was special operation for the occupation
of Lachin. "Some days before Lachin’s occupation, its big civilian
settlements were fired by special Armenian military forces. But
Armenians try to cast a shadow on the events and divert international
community’s attention. Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan, Kalbajar and other
regions were occupied by Armenian Armed Forces".

The round table participants applied to international bodies. The
application called on Armenians to withdraw from Azerbaijani
territories unconditionally.