ArmInfo. The issue of ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage was one of the key issues that concern France as during the exacerbation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and in the subsequent period, stated HE the Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacot.
The Ambassador recalled that immediately after the completion of hostilities, France President Emmanuel Macron convened a special meeting to discuss precisely issues related to ensuring the safety of cultural heritage.
"Of course, we want UNESCO to come to the region and in the shortest possible time and effectively conducted research. And as the UNESCO head stated, we are very regretted that these studies are not yet implemented. In any case, France will do everything to deepen cooperation with Armenia. As part of the cultural heritage, "the ambassador said.
In this regard, he noted that recently, the head of the National Center for the Cultural Heritage of France, Charles Personnaz., came to Armenia for this purpose. "The purpose of his visit is to assist Armenia on the creation of a systemic database of the Armenian cultural heritage, as well as to share professional knowledge with the relevant Armenian structures that are profiled in this area. Personnaz visited Echmiadzin, Meatadaran, in the National Museum and familiarized himself with the exhibits of cultural heritage, which were taken out of Nagorno-Karabakh during the war, "the diplomat said. Ambassador once again stressed that the focus of the Armenian-French cooperation in the coming years will be a matter of cultural heritage.
It should be noted that on November 20, 2020, the general director of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay reported on the readiness of the organization to send a mission to Karabakh to assist in the restoration of the cultural and historical heritage of the region.
In December last year, the Deputy General Director of UNESCO Ernesto Otton Ramirez noted that the organization "is still awaiting Azerbaijan's response to UNESCO to continue working with the direction of the mission in the field." In turn, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in the Communic Communication Commanded on December 22, urged UNESCO not to politicize the development of cultural heritage in Karabakh and stated that Baku "is open to a constructive dialogue to discuss the details of the mission organization."
The Russian Foreign Ministry has also repeatedly stated that Moscow is counting on the visit of the UNESCO Mission to Nagorno-Karabakh in the near future. However, the question is deliberately delayed by the Azerbaijani side, and in this background, in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, the acts of vandalism were performed in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian cultural and historical monuments are destroyed.