Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / Azerbaijan achieved adoption of a Resolution on Protection of the Cultural Heritage during Armed Conflicts at the UN Council on Human Rights. Initiated by the Azerbaijani side suffered from the aggressive actions of Armenia, the document was adopted at the Council's sixth session in Geneva.
The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Switzerland, Elchin Amirbeyov, said on 29 September by telephone that Azerbaijan presented to the attention of the session participants the facts of Armenians' destroying the cultural and historical monuments in occupied Azerbaijani lands.
As a result of the military aggression in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, over 927 libraries, 464 historical monuments and museums, over 100 archaeological monuments, 6 state theatres and concert studios were destroyed. Over 40,000 valuable and rare exhibits were plundered. After Kalbajar region's museum of local lore, history and economy was destroyed, rare golden and silver jewelries, ancient carpets were taken out to Armenia. The same happened to Shusha historical museum, Aghdam museum of bread, Zangilan museum of stone monuments. In fact, it is impossible to define the total cost of all those historical and cultural values plundered and destroyed by Armenians.
"Despite the reaction of the Armenian side participating at the session, all 47 member-countries voted for the adoption of the document," the Ambassador said.
The document envisages human rights for the protection of cultural heritages in occupied territories within the international principles.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.