The Estonian parliamentary delegation led by Chairman of Riigikogu Jüri Ratas who are in Azerbaijan on an official visit travelled to Shusha in the company of Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis Adil Aliyev, the head of the Azerbaijan-Estonia inter-parliamentary connexions working group Jala Ahmadova, the Azerbaijani ambassador in Tallinn Anar Maharramov and the Estonian ambassador in Baku Annely Kolk as well as other officials on 24 May.

They were met on arrival by the special presidential representative for Shusha Province Aydin Karimov who told them about the history of the town, its condition during the occupation period, the current rebuilding work afoot there and the fact that the restoration of the town’s historical artefacts and mosques are being restored under the personal control of President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyev.

The guests were taken to the Yukhari Govkhar-Aga and the Ashaghi Govkhar-Aga mosques and the Caravanserai of Shusha, and were told that the mosques were being repaired with the backing from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation as well as that President Ilham Aliyev had recently laid the foundation of a new mosque that would be constructed in the town.

Also, the Estonian MPs had a look at the Stronghold Walls, the ruins of the palace of the poetess and khan’s daughter Khurshidbanu Natavan and the city square with the statutes of the said Natavan as well as of Bulbul and Uzeyir Hajibeyov, at which the Armenians had been shooting during the occupation years.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis