EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
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PRESS RELEASE
Friday 24 April 2009
Contact : Varténie ECHO
Tel. / Fax. : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ALERTED ON AZERI FALSIFICATIONS OF HISTORY
– An expert presented the destruction of the Armenian heritage
by Azerbaijan to Members of the Commission
– Azerbaijan’s hate driven educational programme towards its
youth was exposed during the meeting
At the European Armenian Federation’s invitation, Professor Rouben
Galichian came to introduce his new book `The Invention of History’
(Editions Gomidas Institute 2009) to representatives of the European
Commission. The book gives a progress report on the cartographic
modifications and the heritage destruction organised by Azerbaijan in
order to deny any anteriority of the Armenian presence in the current
territories of Azerbaijan. Professor Galichian is an expert in
cartography and has carried out investigations on the destructions or
`transformations’ of the Armenian heritage by Azerbaijan.
The Most famous of these operations is the one which put an end in 2004
to the centuries-old existence of the site of Julfa where, following
the example of the Talibans, the Azeri government destroyed more than
4000 khachkars (carved crosses) typical of Armenian religious art.
The members of the Commission explained that they are aware of these
problems and also shared their concern. Thus, the meetings turned
around the quarrelsome rhetoric diffused permanently by Baku as well as
the hate based educational programme aimed towards the Azeri youth.
The participants also evoked the question of establishing measures of
confidence building in this hostile context, the possible resumption of
the hostilities by Azerbaijan and the limits imposed by Baku on
European officials’ freedom of movement in the area.
`We are glad to note a certain knowledge from members of the European
Commission about these heritage and historical misappropriations’
declared Hilda Tchoboian, the president of the European Armenian
Federation. `The Commission seems to understand that Armenia accepts
with difficulty the quarrelsome attitude of its neighbour Azerbaijan
which wishes war and which encourages its population with hatred’ she
continued.
`But Azerbaijan needs Europe more than the opposite. The Union could
thus be more assertive with Baku taking into consideration the
principles that the EU set up through the European Neighbourhood Policy
and the Eastern Partnership’ continued Hilda Tchoboian.
`While agreeing not to go into Artsakh because that upsets Baku, the
Union ratifies a line of demarcation imposed by Azerbaijan in
contradiction with the principles which she intends to defend’
concluded the President of the European Armenian Federation.