CE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER

Azeri Press Agency
July 8 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. Delegation of Directorate of Culture
and Cultural and Natural Heritage has visited Azerbaijan, APA reports.

Robert Palmer, Director of Cultural and Natural Heritage leads the
delegation. The guests have had a meeting in Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry. The film on current situation of material and cultural
monuments of Azerbaijan under the occupied territories has been
demonstrated at the meeting. The guests were informed that after the
occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenian armed forces, there were
1891 cultural and historical monuments and their fate were not known
yet. Robert Palmer briefed the journalists after the meeting.

"The visit aims to conduct consultations on the visit of delegation,
which will clarify the situation of material, cultural and historical
monuments and solve technical issues. The Council of Europe considers
that destruction of monuments is unacceptable. The mission aims to
monitor and clarify the current situation of monuments in Azerbaijan
and Armenia. Azerbaijan and Armenia have presented the list of
monuments, which they are anxious about their fate.

We will coordinate the lists within the framework of the visit. The
process will end late in July. The fact-finding mission of Directorate
of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage will visit the region in
September", he said. The date of the visit has not been determined
yet. He noted that security and technical work was under way. Asked
from which country the Council of Europe mission will pass Robert
Palmer noted that Azerbaijani and Armenian governments should
coordinate this issue.