Armenian cultural heritage is being destroyed by Azerbaijan in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh that came under their control after the 2020 war, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in an address to the Ministerial meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum in New York.
“By pursuing its policy of destruction and eradication of the Armenian culture in the region both in peacetime and during the recent war, Azerbaijan wants to deny the very essence of this heritage. It is more than urgent for the international community to act and provide firm responses to prevent these barbaric acts that jeopardize peace efforts and the establishment of stability and security in the region,” the Foreign Minister said.
“The intentional destruction of cultural heritage sites by Azerbaijan is a challenge not only to Armenia but to the whole of mankind, and it must be strongly condemned and dealt with. In this regard, we highly value UNESCO’s proposition to dispatch an independent expert mission to Nagorno-Karabakh, which so far has been and is still being blocked by Azerbaijan,” Minister Mirzoyan stated.
He noted that Armenia has repeatedly expressed its readiness to collaborate with international partners to achieve fair implementation of measures aiming to protect cultural heritage and invest in global efforts to enhance intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity.
“We hope that our joint efforts and dedication will allow us to pursue our commitments and further strengthen our ties and collaboration,” the Armenian Foreign Minister said.
