UNESCO recommended official Baku to appeal Armenia for stopping archaeological excavations in Shusha

According to the information entered APA from the press-service of the ministry, the deputy on culture of the general director of UNESCO Munir Bushenaki has already sent a letter in reply to the culture minister.

It is informed in the letter that all information given by the Secretariat of UNESCO was investigated in every detail: “I must inform with the feeling of regret that the secretariat of UNESCO was warned not to send any mission to the region in the frame in connection with the work of other agencies of UNO. That is why the authorities of the organization in rendering assistance on protecting the cultural values are limited to the last extent at the present time”.

It was also noted in the response letter that the excavations violating the Hague Convention were illegal: “As to this question, I would like to inform that the Secretariat does not have such special authority as elucidating its existence to the convention. Except the truce procedure considered in the 22nd article of the convention, there is no special mechanism for solving the conflicts related to its propositions and commentary. Even this article can not also be applied in definite form as the protector state was not appointed. If there is a need of urgent interference in the territory damaged and occupied as the result of the military operations for protecting such values located in the territory and the authoritative national government of the occupied territory can not provide it, the invader country is required to cooperate closely with the government of the occupied territory in the direction of realizing most urgent measures for protecting these values”.

M.Bushenaki informed with the feeling of regret in the end of the letter that the Secretariat would not be able to help Shusha city to enter the International Register of the Culture Values being under Special Protection. He explained this step according to the 13(2) article of the Execution Regulations of the Hague Convention such inquiries had to be made by the country which had occupied the territories where the culture values were situated.

/APA/