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Doc. 10022
15 December 2003
Destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan of Azerbaijan
Written question No 440 to the Committee of Ministers
presented by Mr Kocharyan
Taking into consideration that the preservation of the World heritage and cultural diversity on the international level is one of the main objectives of the Council of Europe;
Noting that the significance of the preservation of the World cultural heritage has been recently once more emphasized by the adoption of the Declaration concerning the intentional destruction of cultural heritage;
Reiterating that the destruction of the medieval Armenian cemetery of the Old Town of Julfa, which encompasses numerous cross-stones – unique tombstones dated from the 9th through the 6th centuries – having not only significant historical and cultural but underestimated academic value is the damage to the World heritage;
Recalling that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Sub-Committee on the Cultural Heritage has already decided to arrange fact-finding missions on damage to the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhichevan (Synopsis No 2003/51, 4 April 2003),
Mr Kocharyan
To ask the Committee of Ministers
1. Whether the Committee of Ministers is planning, as soon as possible, to send the inspection mission to Nakhichevan, to witness and determine the result of this destruction;
2. Whether the Committee of Ministers is going to urge the Government of Azerbaijan to take steps to stop the demolition of Armenian cultural heritage.
Signed 1:
Kocharyan, Armenia, LDR
1 SOC: Socialist Group
EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
EDG: European Democratic Group
LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group
UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
NR: not registered in a group