Embassy denies Iran’s involvement in mosque restoration in separatist Karabakh
Assa-Irada
17 Aug 05
Baku, 16 August: The Iranian embassy in Baku has dismissed the reports
saying that Iranian specialists will be involved in repairing the
Shi’i mosque in Azerbaijan’s historic city of Susa occupied by Armenia.
The Armenian Church’s Bishop, Pargev Martirosyan [the head of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church], said last
week that he would take the mosque under his patronage and the Iranian
specialists would be invited to repair it. Pundits say that by making
the move, the Armenian clerics are aspiring to present themselves to
the international community as “humanists” and are aiming to cast
a shadow over the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Iran,
which has repeatedly stated that Nagornyy Karabakh is an integral
part of Azerbaijan.
The Caucasus clerical office [Board of the Muslims of the Caucasus]
has condemned the Armenian bishop’s statement, terming it as hypocrisy.