Azerbaijan, Baku, 27 June / corr Trend I.Alizade / Edward O'Hara, a British MP, a PACE Committee on culture, science and education repporteur on study of state of cultural heritage in the South Caucasus refused to visit the regon. "The rappoteur on study of state of cultural heritage in the South Caucasus refused to tour the region due to political difficulties arisen in connection with the visit," the Secretariat of the PACE Committee on culture, science and education told Trend .
The PACE Committee on culture, science and education appointed in 2005 its rapporteur on study of state of cultural heritage in the South Caucasus. A decision made in this respect noted that O'Hara must visit Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia in the nearest future. However, he has not paid any visit over the past three years.
Azerbaijan has stated its readiness to provide all conditions the rapporteur's visit to the country. Baku thinks that after the tour of Azerbaijan he is to visit the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region from the territory of Azerbaijan to clarify the current status of Azerbaijani historical monuments. The rapporteur should also study the state of Azerbaijani monuments in Armenia. In its turn Armenia does not agree upon rapporteur's visiting Nagorno-Karabakh from the territory of Azerbaijan. Armenia asserts that 'ancient Armenian monuments' left in the territory of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan have been destroyed and demanded the rapporteur to visit Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan stated on its readiness to offer every facility for rapporteur's visit to Nakhchivan.
The PACE Committee on culture, science and education took it into consideration. "With this respect it was decided to sent a letter to PACE chairman Maria de Puch to request him to discuss the rappoteur's visit to the region during his upcoming visit to Baku scheduled from 30 June to 4 July (the date is being defined)," the Secretariat said.
The Secretariat said that MP Ann Brasser from Luxemburg, the chairman of the Committee on culture, science and education, sent a letter to the PACE chairman with respect to O'Hara's refusal from the visit. The PACE Monitoring Committee was recommended to leave this issue on agenda.
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