Arsen Torosyan calls for decoupling heritage disputes from peace  talks

ArmInfo. Arsen Torosyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia and a member of the board of the country's ruling Civil Contract party, believes that the topic of Azerbaijan's destruction of Armenian cultural, historical,  and religious monuments should not be included in the bilateral  agenda between Yerevan and Baku.

According to him, the issue can be raised at UNESCO, but it should  not become part of the bilateral agenda. "We are trying to build  peace with our neighbor, with whom we share a fractured past, and it  cannot be overcome overnight," Torosyan said in an interview with  Armenian Public Television. The Minister emphasized that Armenia must  exercise restraint and avoid retaliatory rhetoric, even in the face  of perceived provocations. "It is very unfortunate if this happens  anywhere—in Stepanakert or Mumbai— when any Armenian cultural  heritage site is destroyed. We need to take a sober look at things  and understand what we need in our relations with our neighbors to  normalize and establish long-term peace," he added.