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AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIAN GIVES CONVINCING RESPONSE TO ARMENIAN MP's GROUNDLESS ALLEGATIONS
AzerTag
Jan 25 2008
Azerbaijan
Speaking at the meeting of PACE Committee on Culture, Science and
Education, Armenian parliamentarian Raffi Hovanesian said Azerbaijan
allegedly demolished medieval Armenian graves in Julfa region in
the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. He said the issue needs to be
included in a special report of PACE. The Armenian MP`s claims evoked
harsh reaction from his Azerbaijani counterpart Rafael Huseynov. The
Azeri MP said Armenia occupied twenty percent of Azerbaijan`s territory
destroying tens of thousands of cultural monuments, including Azykh
Cave and stone monuments and mounds in Agdam.
Huseynov said it is Armenians that demolished all Azerbaijani graves
not only in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, but also in Armenia
itself. He stressed there are graves of representatives of various
nations, including Armenia, in Azerbaijan, and that his country has
always been preserving them.
According to the Azerbaijani parliamentarian, even today, there is
an Armenian church in the center of Baku, and "no one is going to
damage it".
"There are no Armenian graves in the territory of Nakhchivan. This is
just an Armenian fabrication", Huseynov added. He noted Hovanesian`s
allegations are nothing, but senseless and groundless territorial
claims. Rafael Huseynov said Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan are
Azerbaijani territories. He also added Armenians have been making
all efforts to prevent a visit to the region by PACE fact-finding
mission led by British MP Edward O'Hara.
Other speakers including British parliamentarians Baroness
Hooper, Robert Walter and Andrew McIntosh backed their Azerbaijani
counterpart's stance, and said Raffi Hovanesian`s claims are hindering
both continuation of the dialogue and O'Hara`s visit to the region.
However, the Armenian parliamentarian once again asked permission to
speak and said that unlike his country which destroyed the Azerbaijani
graves during the war, Azerbaijan did it in 2005.
But again the Azerbaijan MP`s response was more than convincing.
He said Armenia had been destroying Azerbaijani graves and cultural
monuments for more than ten years, including in the years of ceasefire.
"This is why, we insist on O'Hara`s visiting the region to become
an eyewitness of this. We are ready to give every support to the
fact-finding mission. We support the British parliamentarians`
constructive proposals and recommendations, and we hope Armenia will
also take this stance", said Rafael Huseynov.
AzerTag
Jan 25 2008
Azerbaijan
Speaking at the meeting of PACE Committee on Culture, Science and
Education, Armenian parliamentarian Raffi Hovanesian said Azerbaijan
allegedly demolished medieval Armenian graves in Julfa region in
the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. He said the issue needs to be
included in a special report of PACE. The Armenian MP`s claims evoked
harsh reaction from his Azerbaijani counterpart Rafael Huseynov. The
Azeri MP said Armenia occupied twenty percent of Azerbaijan`s territory
destroying tens of thousands of cultural monuments, including Azykh
Cave and stone monuments and mounds in Agdam.
Huseynov said it is Armenians that demolished all Azerbaijani graves
not only in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, but also in Armenia
itself. He stressed there are graves of representatives of various
nations, including Armenia, in Azerbaijan, and that his country has
always been preserving them.
According to the Azerbaijani parliamentarian, even today, there is
an Armenian church in the center of Baku, and "no one is going to
damage it".
"There are no Armenian graves in the territory of Nakhchivan. This is
just an Armenian fabrication", Huseynov added. He noted Hovanesian`s
allegations are nothing, but senseless and groundless territorial
claims. Rafael Huseynov said Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan are
Azerbaijani territories. He also added Armenians have been making
all efforts to prevent a visit to the region by PACE fact-finding
mission led by British MP Edward O'Hara.
Other speakers including British parliamentarians Baroness
Hooper, Robert Walter and Andrew McIntosh backed their Azerbaijani
counterpart's stance, and said Raffi Hovanesian`s claims are hindering
both continuation of the dialogue and O'Hara`s visit to the region.
However, the Armenian parliamentarian once again asked permission to
speak and said that unlike his country which destroyed the Azerbaijani
graves during the war, Azerbaijan did it in 2005.
But again the Azerbaijan MP`s response was more than convincing.
He said Armenia had been destroying Azerbaijani graves and cultural
monuments for more than ten years, including in the years of ceasefire.
"This is why, we insist on O'Hara`s visiting the region to become
an eyewitness of this. We are ready to give every support to the
fact-finding mission. We support the British parliamentarians`
constructive proposals and recommendations, and we hope Armenia will
also take this stance", said Rafael Huseynov.