Azeri Ambassador to US Hafiz Pashayev gave a written response to a letter of Co-Chairs of the US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) on destruction of Armenian khachkars (headstones) in Nakhichevan. H. Pashayev “expresses regret” over “unreliable” information sources, to which Congressmen referred. The Ambassador reminded that the Azeri Defense Ministry has rejected such accusations. The diplomat reminded that Azerbaijan is a society based on “rich historical legacy.” “Some 30 thousand Armenians live in Azerbaijan today. Our country highlights preservation of thousands of historical, cultural and architectural monuments,” he said. Addressing Congressmen the Azeri diplomat remarked he “shares their concern over preservation of historical and cultural heritage,” reported Trend agency.
It should be reminded that Co-Chairs of the US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) have sent a joint letter to Ambassador Pashayev of Azerbaijan expressing their concern over the reported destruction of Armenian khachkars (headstones), monuments and headstones in the medieval cemetery of Julfa, Nakhichevan of the Azerbaijan Republic on December 15, 2005, reported the Armenian Assembly of America. Knollenberg and Pallone stated their opposition to the vandalism of Armenian khachkars that have for centuries existed in the Julfa Cemetery, pointing out that the same site was vandalized in 2002, leaving up to 2,000 of the 10,000 khachkars intact. The organized nature of the ongoing demolition accounted by eyewitnesses has been qualified as cleansing. The letter also calls attention to Azerbaijan’s national responsibilities within the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other international frameworks. “As a member of the international community, Azerbaijan has a duty to preserve the cultural and historical heritage in its custody. By ignoring this obligation, the government of Azerbaijan undermines U.S. and international efforts to achieve greater stability in the South Caucasus region,” says the letter of Knollenberg and Pallone.
The Co-Chairs concluded their missive by urging Azerbaijan to cease the vandalism in Julfa’s Old Cemetery and to prepare a report documenting the damage leading to measures in remedy of the situation. The government of Azerbaijan is also urged to cooperate with international and expert community in developing a program of action to prevent and preserve treasures of cultural heritage and halt future occurrences of violence.
