"ARMENIA PUTTING OBSTACLES FOR PACE RAPPORTEUR’S VISIT TO SOUTH CAUCASUS" – PACE VICE-PRESIDENT
Trend News Agency
07.07.08 16:29
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 July / Trend News corr I.Alizade/ Azerbaijani
Parliament thinks Armenia is impeding the visit of Edward O’Hara,
PACE Rapporteur for South Caucasus’s Cultural Heritage.
" Azerbaijan is interested in visit of O’Hara and other similar
missions to the region. Due to the problems created by Armenia, the
visit did not take place," Vice-President of PACE, head of Azerbaijan’s
delegation to PACE Samad Seyidov said to journalists on 7 July.
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.
Seyidov said every visit, including PACE Rapporteur’s visit to the
region, must be paid within the norms of international law. "Everybody
must stick to the norms, including PACE Rapporteurs engaged in
protection of international rights. There must be no other variant,"
PACE Vice-President said.
As to O’Hara’s refusal to visit South Caucasus, Seyidov said that
mainly regards fulfilment of PACE Committee’s duties. Rapporteur’s
refusal does not mean PACE mission will not visit the region.
According to Seyidov, official Baku is ready to create conditions
for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh beginning from Azerbaijan.