Chairman of the organization for protection of Armenian cultural and historical monuments: "Georgians appropriate our cultural heritage as much as they can"

Chairman of the organization for protection of Armenian cultural and historical monuments Samvel Karapetyan gave a speech at "Georgia’s Anti-Armenian Policy" conference today.

"Georgia should be reminded why Armenians of Karabakh launched a struggle for independence. Azerbaijan prohibited them from speaking Armenian and teaching history of Armenia in schools," he said. "Georgians appropriate our cultural heritage as much as they can. Armenia’s indifference gives Georgians a green light for appropriating our cultural heritage. What the Armenian Ministry of Culture should do is address to the European Court of Human Rights for condemnation of each fact of appropriation of Armenian monuments. I have several times raised the issue in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but my attempts proved abortive."

He said absorbed in the process of appropriation, Georgian spiritual leaders desecrate even Georgian graves.

"If Father Tariel Sikinchelashvili can take stone flags off Georgian graves, so we shouldn’t be surprised at the attitude toward the Armenian churches. We are at a deadlock and it would be na?ve to expect respect for our monuments," he said.

"The problem with Norashen is that the Armenian community of Georgia has lost national identity and that Armenia doesn’t render proper support," he resumed.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/