Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 18 /Trend, I.Isabalayeva/
According to preliminary estimates, as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the library and information system of Azerbaijan has incurred material damage worth $20.815 million.
Nine centralized library systems, 927 libraries and 4.6 million books stored in them have been plundered and destroyed in Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend.
In addition, six architectural and seven archaeological monuments, 13 monuments of world importance, 292 historical and cultural monuments of national importance (119 architectural, 173 archaeological) and 330 monuments of local importance (270 architectural, 22 archaeological, 23 garden, park, monumental memorial, 15 samples of applied art) have left in the occupied territories.
Some 22 museums, which contained over 40,000 exhibits, 808 clubs, four theaters and two concert halls, eight amusement parks, four art galleries and 85 music schools have left in the occupied territories.
The only Bread Museum in the former Soviet Union in Aghdam was razed to the ground by the Armenians during the shelling of the city. Up to 13,000 valuable and rare exhibits of the world-known Kalbajar historical museum and more than 5,000 exhibits of Lachin historical museum were taken to Armenia.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.