UNITED KINGDOM SENDS REPLY MESSAGE TO AZERBAIJAN ON EXCAVATION OF AZIKH CAVE IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency
June 5 2008
Azerbaijan
Baku. Ulkar Gasimov-APA. "Great Britain is unaware of excavation
of Azikh cave by British and Spanish archeologists in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan", UK Minister for Culture, Creative
Industries and Tourism Margaret Hodge’s letter says.
Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry told APA that the letter
approved occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenians and officially
stated unawareness of excavation of Azikh cave by British and
Spanish archeologists in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
officially. The UK Minister’s letter covered that citizens had been
provided information about travel to Azerbaijan, including occupied
territories.
"The British should take it into account before planning to travel",
the letter says.
Materials on excavation of Azikh cave belonging to paleolith were
allocated in internet in March, 2008. Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism
Ministry sent a letter to UK Culture, Creative Industry and Tourism
Ministry and Spanish Culture Ministry on it on March 17, 2008.The
appeals covered that Armenians had destroyed Azerbaijani historical
and cultural monuments of in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
and expressed anxiety about involvement of Spanish and British
archeologists in vandalism of Armenians. Letters of protest stated
that excavation contradicted with 1954 Hague Convention on Protection
of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, 1992 European
Archaeological Heritage Convention, UNESCO World Heritage Convention
(1972) and demanded to stop excavation in eternal territories of
Azerbaijan and observation of articles of international conventions.