Baku, Azerbaijan, May 5
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Cultural and historical monuments were destroyed as a result of the occupation of Shusha and other Azerbaijani cities by Armenia, Azay Guliyev, the chairman of the Council of State Support to NGOs under the Azerbaijani President, said.
He made the remarks May 4 in Baku at a meeting of foreign partners of the international campaign 'Freedom to Shusha'.
Guliyev said the project aims to promote and bring to world community the rich heritage of the ancient Azerbaijani city of Shusha, which is today under the occupation of Armenia, and its historical monuments were destroyed by Armenians.
He noted that the main task of the council he heads is to attract foreign NGOs, culture figures, media representatives and other foreign nationals to the advocacy work and consistent efforts to restore the justice.
"Therefore, I believe the international organizations, civil society institutions of foreign countries shouldn't be indifferent to the vandalism committed in Shusha, which is a cultural center of the Caucasus," said Guliyev.
The meeting of the 'Freedom to Shusha' international campaign's foreign partners was held by the Azerbaijani Democratic Student and Youth Organizations (ADTGT).
The event, held with a financial support of the Council of State Support to NGOs under the Azerbaijani President, was attended by the heads of 19 foreign NGOs.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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