UNESCO TO SEND MISSION TO REGION

Armenpress
Jun 26 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: Spokesperson for the
Armenian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Karapetian told
Armenpress that Armenia has been undertaking efforts
so that UNESCO sends a mission to the region to assess
the condition of the Armenian cultural monuments in
Old Jugha (Nakhijevan). He said that it is not a
secret that the Armenian monuments are being
systematically destroyed in the Azerbaijani territory,
especially in Nakhijevan. He said that Armenian
leadership stated about it in the UNESCO, UN and
European establishments.

Letters were sent to the general director of the
UNESCO in 1998, in 2002 and in 2005 presenting the
situation and calling on undertaking steps for
stopping the cultural genocide of the Armenian
monuments in Nakhijevan. According to Karapetian, the
steps carried out by the Armenian side towards drawing
the attention of the international community to the
fact of purposeful destruction of Armenian
cross-stones in Nakhijevan in 2006 finally helped to
break the silence. "Armenia greatly underscored the
visit of the mission to Nakhijevan for the assessment
of the situation," Karapetian said.

When Armenia demanded that a mission be sent to Old
Jugha Azerbaijan said that the mission must study the
condition of monuments in Nagorno Karabakh.

Karapetian said that in a letter to UNESCO Armenian
Foreign Minister Oskanian noted that Armenia on its
turn is ready to discuss issue on the organization of
the visit of the mission to Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh
in case of agreement of the authorities of Karabakh,
for studying the condition of the monuments.

UNESCO has approved the membership of the mission
which will visit the region. The time of the visit is
not yet clear