April 11, 2006 - 18:28 AMT
Baku Objects to Europarliament Survey in Nakhichevan
Official Baku may agree that the European Parliament mission start a survey at the destroyed Armenian cemetery in Nakhichevan «only with the condition of bilateral survey,» APA reports. The mission is composed of 10 persons that are to travel to Armenia at first.

Speaking at an official conference on April 6th, the President of the European Parliament was joined by the leaders of its political parties in strongly approving the body's decision to send a delegation in Djulfa, in the Nakhichevan region of Azerbaijan. The aim of the mission is to investigate the destruction by Azerbaijan of the Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, a treasure of world architectural heritage that was effectively destroyed. The EP leaders unanimously decided to entrust this mission to the Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation rather than to an ad-hoc delegation, as it had initially been planned. The mission is being sent in accordance with the Parliament's resolution "on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan," which was adopted in February of 2006. This measure "demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, who are dedicated to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in particular Armenian heritage, onto its territory." The delegation will be composed of ten Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who are members of the Commission of EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation group. They are set to travel to Djulfa as part of their trip to Armenia from April 17th to 21st.