ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: THE VISIT OF THE PACE RAPPORTEUR ON AZERBAIJAN

arminfo
2007-08-30 17:29:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian National Assembly clarified the situation
around cancellation of the visit of Edward O’Hara, PACE (Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe) Rapporteur on the Cultural Heritage
in the South Caucasus, to the region, Thursday.

The Armenian parliamentary press-service told ArmInfo that the
initiative to pay a visit to the South Caucasian region belongs to
the parliamentary delegation of PACE in connection with demolition of
Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) in Nakhijevan by Azerbaijan. Edward
O’Hara’s visit to the region was planned several years ago, but
postponed for several times. This visit was scheduled for August
29. Within two months Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia prepared a
special program of the visit, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh expressed
willingness to contribute to fulfillment of the visit in every
possible way. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia presented the list of
cultural monuments in advance. The delegation was also planning to
visit Nagorno-Karabakh and the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic. It
was already specified which monuments would be seen first. However,
a letter about cancellation of the visit has been received from the
PACE Sub-committee’s secretary.

According to the Armenian parliamentary press-service, the visit has
been cancelled only for one reason – on August 28 the head of the
Azeri parliamentary delegation to PACE made a statement that Edward
O’Hara was to arrive in Nagorno-Karabakh via Azeri territory, although
all the details of the visit had already been specified through the
permanent representative of Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia, and the
Armenian Parliament was to provide the delegation with transport. In
fact, Azerbaijan frustrated the visit at the last minute, and the Azeri
side’s information that this is only another postponement is false. It
is noteworthy that though Azeri delegations to different international
organizations are trying to spread leaflets about alleged demolition
of Azeri monuments by Armenia, the PACE Rapporteur expressed a desire
to see only one Muslim monument, moreover, it is not an Azeri, but
Persian monument – the Blue Mosque in Yerevan. As for the monuments
in Nagorno-Karabakh, a mosque in the town of Shoushi, the Panaguan
Palace, as well as libraries and museums were mentioned. This is direct
evidence of the fact that Azerbaijan makes slanderous statements about
"demolition of Azeri monuments" in Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh.

On August 29, PACE Secretary General Mateo Sorinas notified the Speaker
of the Armenian Parliament, Tigran Torosyan, in the written form that
Edward O’Hara will not pay a visit to the region. The problem of entry
into Nagorno-Karabakh, i.e. the statement made by Azerbaijan on August
28, is mentioned as one of the reasons of the visit’s cancellation. It
is doubtless that the Azeri side hinders the PACE Rapporteur’s visit
in every possible way, because it will be found out during the visit
that numerous Armenian monuments were and are being demolished both
in Nakhijevan and Azerbaijan, and that Azerbaijan’s statements and
leaflets are a common slander.

The Armenian National Assembly expressed willingness to contribute
to fulfillment of the PACE Rapporteur’s visit to the South Caucasian
region.

The further actions concerning the visit will be etermined during
the session of the PACE Sub-committee on the Cultural Heritage,
the source reports.