May 31, 2007 - 16:48 AMT
CoE: No consents received from Yerevan and Baku on carrying out monitoring of cultural monuments
"The Council of Europe wants to send special experts to Azerbaijan and Armenia for familiarizing with the situation of historic-cultural monuments," Sec. Gen. of the Council of Europe Terry Davis stated. He said in order to carry out a monitoring they need to examine the whole territory, for which consents from both sides are necessary. "We have not received such consents yet," the CoE Sec. Gen. underlined.

Official Baku constructed a military training ground on the territory of an Armenian cemetery in Old Djugha, Nakhichevan. Mass destruction of khachkars (cross-stones) began in Old Djugha in 1998, when Azeri soldiers with the help of bulldozers leveled the vast territory of old Armenian cemeteries. After the world community condemned the actions of Azerbaijan, distractions stopped and launched again in 2003. A lot of khachkars were interred, and others were destroyed and thrown to Araks River.

Nakhichevan is located on the territory of historical Armenia and was in the make-up of the Armenian Republic in 1918-1920. On the Moscow Treaty signed in 1921 between the Soviet Russia and Turkey Nakhichevan region was handed over Azerbaijan.