Armenians urge US Amb. to end alleged destruction of graves

29/12/2005
AzerNews

The Armenian National Committee of America has called on US ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish to ensure ending the alleged destruction of Armenian graves at an old cemetery in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is cut off from the rest of the country by Armenia.

In a letter, the Committee urged Harnish to leave for Nakhchivan immediately, demand from Azerbaijan, on behalf of the US government and the world community, to honor the UNESCO agreement on the world's cultural heritage that the country joined in 1993, and put an end to alleged destruction of Armenian tombstone crosses.

Armenians also called on Harnish to urge Azerbaijan to restore the graves as much as possible until Armenian and international experts conduct surveys on the site.

Azeri officials dismissed the allegations. The Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Taghizada said the latest appeal is part of Armenians' long-term policy that started 4-5 years ago. "This is absolutely untrue and aims to cover up the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural and historical monuments by Armenians in the occupied territories. They are trying to mislead the international community," he said.
{Related articles:
o British House of Lords to Discuss Destruction of Armenian Khachkars in Nakhichevan
o US Congressmen Denounced Destruction of Armenian Khachkars in Nakhichevan
o Ignored vandalism: The world is silent while hundreds of Christian monuments are destroyed in Azerbaijan
o Letter from Armenia's FM to Unesco
o Azerbaijani Soldiers Destroy Armenian Kchachqars in Nakhichevan }


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