Azerbaijani President threatens UNESCO '"with revision of relations"January 6, 2021 - 15:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has threatened UNESCO with a "revision of relations" if the organization does not "maintain its international status" and does not cease "being a branch of any country", claiming UNESCO works for the "Armenian lobby", JAM News reports. Aliyev made the remarks during a video conference with the country's new Minister of Culture Anar Kerimov who represented Azerbaijan in UNESCO before taking the Minister's post. “Who can accuse us that the monuments of other religions in Azerbaijan are under threat? Inexperienced politicians, populists, some so-called ‘politicians’ who are not aware of our region, but fulfill the order of the Armenian lobby or work for it, may have some claims against us," he said.
Aliyev further claimed Azerbaijan has repaired religious monuments and taken care of them.
"We are ready to continue to cooperate with UNESCO. But on one condition, UNESCO must maintain its international status. UNESCO is not affiliated with any country. If this approach prevails in our relations, then there will be cooperation. If not, this cooperation can be revised,” Aliyev added.
During the recent military hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani forces launched two targeted attacks on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. After taking control of the city, they destroyed the domes of Saint John the Baptist Church. Concerns about the preservation of cultural sites in Karabakh are made all the more urgent by the Azerbaijani government’s history of systemically destroying indigenous Armenian heritage—acts of both warfare and historical revisionism. The Azerbaijani government has secretly destroyed a striking number of cultural and religious artifacts in the late 20th century. Within Nakhichevan alone, a historically Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani forces destroyed at least 89 medieval churches, 5,840 khachkars (Armenian cross stones) and 22,000 historical tombstones between 1997 and 2006. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. Mkhitaryan raises arrest of former Karabakh leaders in Azerbaijan Inter Milan star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has shared a news story about the extension of the arrest of former Karabakh leaders. Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. |