Azerbaijan was throwing obstacles in inclusion of lavash in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage with Turkey's hands.
Vahram Kazhoyan, Secretary General of the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO, said at today's press conference that earlier Azerbaijan and Turkey sent official letters, wherein they expressed their remarks and objection to possible inclusion of lavash in the UNESCO List.
Armenia gave all the answers to the questions raised by the neighboring countries, particularly, during the meetings and discussions with the embassies of the member states of the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Armenian application was approved by all members of the relevant Committee, which includes representatives of 6 countries: Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Latvia, Bulgaria and Namibia.
Following the decision on inclusion of lavash in the UNESCO List, Azeri media outlets were hysteria- stricken. First of all, the Azeri media disseminated information that the name of the application "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional Armenian bread as an expression of culture" was changed with "Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in Armenia".
The Azeri mass media claimed that this was done under pressure of Azerbaijan and that it would further allow Azerbaijan to present lavash as cooking heritage spread throughout the region.
In the reality, the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage made a suggestion not to use the name of a specific nation in the nominations of items to be included in the UNESCO List.
"We agreed to change the formulation after several rounds of talks with the Committee. Azerbaijan did not suggest any compromises. It simply suggested a new, absolutely different version of the draft resolution on lavash. It was totally unacceptable to us", said Kazhoyan.
As a result, no changes were introduced in the draft resolution on inclusion of lavash in the UNESCO List. It is noteworthy that the draft resolution also thoroughly described the Armenian tonir, in which lavash is traditionally made. "Each country can present its own traditions of making thin bread. Our application is connected with Armenian traditions in Armenian culture, folk art, manners. Azeris cannot say that they have similar traditions related to lavash", he stressed.
According to Kazhoyan, Azerbaijan was throwing obstacles in inclusion of lavash in the UNESCO List with Turkey's hands, because Azerbaijan is not a member of the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
To recall, the decision to include lavash in the UNESCO List was taken on November 26 during the Committee's session at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.