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Abulfas Garayev: â€œUNESCO fact-finding mission will visit Nagorno Karabakh after the political agreement between Azerbaijan and Armeniaâ€

14 September 2009 15:04 (UTC +04:00)

- What a year of Baku â€“ Islamic Cultural Capital bring to Azerbaijan?

- It demonstrated to the world that Azerbaijan is a part of Islamic Culture and plays important role in its protection. On the other hand, Azerbaijanâ€™s experience, achievements and people proved that modern, new and progressive culture and society can be built on the basis of Islamic Culture. These events are important for popularization of Azerbaijanâ€™s culture and history. The international conferences and round tables organized in Azerbaijan created opportunities to address the problems left in shadow and to realize measures for their solution. This year plays important role in the popularization of Azerbaijanâ€™s cultural potential, rich history and cultural values in the world. Our ministry, other government organizations and public community have to work actively to fulfill duties arisen from the year of Baku â€“ Islamic Cultural Capital. We achieved our goals and started to hold series of events beginning from January, 2009. Azerbaijan is situated in the geopolitical and geographical space where the different cultures are crossing. Our goal is to show Azerbaijan as an example for cross-culture dialogue. First Mugham Festival organized in Azerbaijan by Mehriban Khanum Aliyeva was a summit of these events.

- How do you see removal of mosques in Baku in the year of Islamic Cultural Capital?

- Everything should be within the law. If some buildings were constructed illegally, necessary measures must be taken against it. If the mosque or other building was constructed within the law, it will never be removed. Azerbaijani people have immense respect for their religion. I believe there will not be such cases in future because the supremacy of law will be secured.

- Is there any program for restoration of historical and cultural monuments destroyed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan?

- All of our society is eagerly waiting for restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. We are keen to restore historical and cultural monuments of Azerbaijan. We have never seen Karabakh and other occupied regions out of our projects. Karabakh and other occupied regions were approved as a special zone during the determination of tourism places of Azerbaijan. We have special plans for development of tourism in those territories. But it must be analyzed at first after the liberation of those lands. We receive information from the different sources and we know that historical and cultural monuments, shrines, mosques and other architectural monuments in those territories are in bad situation. Probably it will take time to analyze it and only after that we will make decision on the work to be done there. We have preliminary plan, but we canâ€™t prepare seriously without real facts. Azerbaijani architects and historians will express their opinion after the political agreement.

- Why UNESCO fact-finding mission and Council of Europe Commission for Education, Science and Culture couldnâ€™t realize their plans to visit Nagorno Karabakh?

- We are waiting for this mission for three years, but they delay visit under the different pretexts. We want this visit to be realized soon. Probably the opposite side fears to show real situation and creates to prevent this mission. Of course, the international organizations should make balanced decision considering interests of both sides. We prepared materials and documents to submit to the mission, but unfortunately they didnâ€™t realize the visit. I think it will take place only after the political agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

- Is the process of re-elaboration of Culture Law started and what new is expected?

- The law was adopted in Azerbaijan in 1998 and has not been changed since than. Many things have been changed in Azerbaijan in the past period. The law should contain both realities of Azerbaijan and cultural processes in the world, new terminology, ideas and aspects, because Azerbaijan is a member of international family. The law should be elaborated with participation of public community. We consider discussions on cultural strategy of Azerbaijan at first. The elaboration of law is a multistage process. The present Culture Law doesnâ€™t contain anything related to show business, but we need to modernize the law that this sphere also gets opportunity for activity within the law.

- There were scandals elated to honorable titles. Even there were some interested points in one of the trialsâ€¦

- Fortunately, the officials mentioned in this process have no relation to the culture. I am taking the ministerial post for more than three years. I make you sure that I and people working with me never be close to the persons receiving honorable titles. I received only thanks and nothing else. Those, who intend for the titles and donâ€™t receive it, are making such claims. I believe that awarding of honorable titles was fair process as other orders issued by the head of state. There are new generations, new singers, new performers and cultural figures in Azerbaijan and the process will be going on. We have enough forces to value the activity of cultural figures, artists and writers. We donâ€™t need in outside recommendations.

- It seems you consider the awarding of honorable titles as normal?

- When I was appointed the minister of culture and tourism, I said that I was against the honorable titles. But there is a tradition today and it doesnâ€™t need to stop it. It is a value giving to the activity of people and also material and spiritual support for them. The creative people are interested that their activity is valued. This is a right tactic in the present situation.

- What about the launching of cultural TV channel?

- We have to be completely ready for launching of high-level TV channel. Recently the TV channels give much attention and time to the culture. We can pen the cultural TV channel in year or two. It has to cover cinema, creative work, the problem of critique, theories and other issues.

- When will you start planting of park of destroyed monuments?

- The work was started already. We started qualification and registration of all architectural monuments. The Baku Executive Power and State Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning should allocate place for that park. Then we will collect those statues in this park that the people can visit and analyze it. We are expected to solve the issue within a month.

- Are the results of contest for Independence Monument known?

- Unfortunately I can give positive answer because there are no projects describing Azerbaijanâ€™s independence from the view of sculpture, architecture and philosophy. We chose best projects, but didnâ€™t announce winner. We are talking this issue with well-known intellectuals of the country. We are negotiating with German architects and sculptors too.

- The European Broadcasting Union addressed the issue of inviting the Azerbaijani voters for Armenians at the Eurovision 2009 for testimony. Does this factor impact on Azerbaijanâ€™s future in this contest?

- I donâ€™t understand who are those Azerbaijani voters supported Armenians and why they did that. It is an illogical step. On the other hand, only newspapers reported about their testimony. I think Armenia is interested in disqualification of Azerbaijan from the contest. The contest should meet every taste. But honest Azerbaijani people should never vote for the representatives of Armenia, which occupied our lands.

- The season of travel is ending. Is the number of tourist arriving in the country increased?

- There was little increase. The developing tourism infrastructure gave great impetus to the development of tourism in Azerbaijan. Hotel prices dropped 20 percent for local population as a result of concurrence.

- Why prices of Azerbaijanâ€™s tourism facilities are higher than world standards?

-This is free market. If the prices donâ€™t drop, it means there is an enough requirement. The investors should focus on the construction of larger hotels in Azerbaijan. I think we have to start the development of tourism industry with construction of three-star hotels. More than 50 hotels are constructed in Azerbaijan and most of them meet standards of four- and five-star hotels. Therefore the prices are higher.

- Does the ministry control hotel prices in Azerbaijan?

- We determine only star-level of the hotels, but not the prices. Every hotel has own price list and we can change the prices only through the extension of infrastructure within the concurrence.

- How many hotels were closed this year?

- We published the list of hotels closed for unlicensed activity. Nearly 40 hotels were closed. 10 of them seriously took it into consideration and appealed for license.

- What do you think about removal of hotels Absheron, Moscow and Azerbaijan, which were good examples of architecture of that time?

- It is logical to remove and reconstruct the hotels, to make them according to modern standards. The hotels built in Soviet time couldnâ€™t be modernized because there were no opportunities for new communication, ventilation and heating systems. Today new hotels are constructed in their places.