BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 29
By Ilhama İsabalayeva - Trend:
Destruction of historical monuments in Nagorno Karabakh, testifying to the centuries-old existence of the Azerbaijani community there, is aimed at erasing this evidence and destroying the cultural identity of Azerbaijanis, First Deputy Minister of Culture, Acting Minister Anar Karimov said, Trend reports.
According to Karimov, by the beginning of 1990s, 2,625 monuments were officially registered in the occupied territories. Of these, 706 were specially protected by the state. Among them, 11 were of international importance, 240 were of national importance, and 455 were of local importance.
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, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.