The protection of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the  territories of Artsakh that have passed to Azerbaijan is in the focus  of the National Commission of Armenia for UNESCO

ArmInfo.The proper and guaranteed protection of the Armenian historical, cultural and  religious heritage in the territories of Artsakh that have come under  Azerbaijani control was among the key issues on the agenda of the  meeting of the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO, held at the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

According to the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Chairman of the  Armenian National Commission to UNESCO, Foreign Minister Ara  Ayvazyan, in his speech, recalled that in connection with the  Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression and the trilateral statement signed on  November 9, along with other humanitarian issues, one of the key  tasks remains the proper and guaranteed preservation of the Armenian  historical, cultural and religious heritage, as well as the  prevention of acts of vandalism and the provision of monitoring  mechanisms in the territories of Artsakh that have come under the  control of Azerbaijan.

"Thousands of historical, cultural and religious monuments in the  territories of Artsakh that have come under the military control of  Azerbaijan are under threat of destruction. These monuments, which  are tangible evidence of the centuries - old history of the Armenian  people in the region, are of great value not only from the point of  view of the Armenian, but also the world cultural heritage," Ayvazyan  stressed.  At the same time, the Minister pointed out the reality of  the danger of destroying the Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh,  given the numerous precedents of their deliberate damage by  Azerbaijan, the long-standing anti-Armenian policy and the systematic  destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage. According to him, the  destruction of about 28,000 monuments of the rich Armenian cultural  heritage in Nakhichevan also testifies to this.

In his speech, Ayvazyan stressed that since the first days of the  Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression, all the necessary work has been done  to draw the attention of the international community to the  importance of protecting the historical and cultural monuments of  Artsakh. Referring to the secondment of the UNESCO mission to  Artsakh, the Armenian Foreign Minister stressed that the Armenian  side maintains a constructive dialogue with the organization, as well  as active efforts are being made by the Director General of UNESCO,  who initially announced the need to implement the approved mission in  accordance with the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention on  the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Ayvazyan confirmed the commitment of the Armenian Foreign Ministry to  the protection of the historical and cultural heritage of Artsakh.

In turn, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the  Republic of Armenia Vahram Dumanyan spoke about the work carried out  by the Department for the protection and protection of monuments and  museums of Artsakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan.   Dumanyan stressed that the issue of ensuring the safety and security  of Armenian cultural values, which are universal values, is always  raised at the relevant international platforms, in contacts with  partners. During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on the  implementation of the programs included in the agenda of the  commission meeting.