BRITISH CO-REPORTER OF PACE EDWARD O’HARA TO VISIT REGION

Trend News Agency
02.07.08 16:24
Azerbaijan

Edward O’Hara, reporter on studying cultural heritage in the South
Caucasus of the Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) for Culture, Science and Education and MP from the
Great Britain tries to visit the region. "I hope that the visit by
O’Hara to the region will take place," PACE chairman Luis Maria Puig
briefed to media in Baku.

Reporter on studying situation of the cultural heritage in the South
Caucasus of the PACE Committee for Culture, Science and Education was
appointed in 2005. The decision adopted in this regard says that the
reporter O’Hara is expected to visit Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia
soon. However, the visit did not take place for the last three years.

Azerbaijan stated that it is ready to provide conditions for
reporter’s visit. The official Baku believes that O’Hara should
visit Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia and study the situation of
the monuments of this region once he visits Azerbaijan. At the same
time, the reporter should study the situation of the old monuments
of Azerbaijan in the territory of Armenia. However, Armenia does not
want reporter to visit Nagorno-Karabakh beginning from the Azerbaijani
territory.

Armenia claims that Azerbaijan has destroyed all old ‘Armenian
monuments’ in the territory of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of
Azerbaijan and wants the reporter to visit Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan
stated that it is ready to provide conditions for reporter’s visit
to Nakhchivan.

Last week O’Hara refused to visit region because of the political
difficulties he faced.

PACE President noted that he discussed O’Hara’s visit to the region
in the meeting held in Azerbaijan.