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Richard Morningstar: The United States supports efforts in Azerbaijan and Armenia to protect the historical archives of each otherâ€™s communities in their countries

02 November 2012 16:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar has issued a statement on the protection of cultural heritage, the embassy told APA. Ambassador said after having come to Azerbaijan he was trying to know more about our country, people and history.
"I have recently visited Nakhchivan. Moreover, i have also visited Lankaran, Shaki, Oghuz, Guba and Lahij. These visits gave me an opportunity to be familiar with the country’s cultural heritage.
I think this is very important for everyone coming to Azerbaijan to live and work," he said.
Ambassador mentioned that the region had a complicated history.
"Nagorno Karabakh has resulted in the death of thousands of people and seriously changed the structure of the places having historical, religious and cultural importance in the region," he said.
According to the statement, while visiting Nakhchivan, he held discussions with the local authorities about the Armenian cemetery in Julfa.
"I regret that the authorities did not allow me to visit that place due to the security. The protection of the region’s heritage is very important for future peace. A lot of monuments have been damaged and destroyed in the region as a result of Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he said.
Ambassador noted that the efforts made by both countries for protection of the heritage of each other are encouraging.
"Today in Baku, for example, I visited the Armenian Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator, where I learned about the churchâ€™s history and the preservation of books and manuscripts in the Armenian language. There is also the story of the former Armenian village of Kerkenj and Azerbaijani village of Dzuynashogh whose communities swapped land and agreed to look after the otherâ€™s sites, including cemeteries. The United States supports efforts in Azerbaijan and Armenia to protect the historical archives of each otherâ€™s communities in their countries. For example, next week Armenian and Azerbaijani archivists will be in the United States on a joint program to learn more about preservation of cultural artifacts. These types of efforts deserve recognition and we will do our best to support any such efforts in the future."