Deliberate destruction of cultural heritage sites by Azerbaijan  challenge not only to Armenia, but also to all humanity - Vahe  Gevorgyan

ArmInfo.Below is a statement by Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan at the  Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum. 

Mr. Chair,

We thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for conveying the Ministerial  of the Ancient Civilizations Forum on the sidelines of the  78thsession of the UN General Assembly, which is an important  opportunity to review the progress in our cooperation on promoting  the common historical and cultural heritage and identify the gaps in  this regard.

Armenia values the Forum as a pivotal platform for cultural dialogue  and cooperation, capable of addressing the significant challenges  confronting our increasingly globalized world. We are committed to  actively supporting and contributing to collective endeavors aimed at  bolstering intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and  tolerance.

Preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage of  humankind is key element in promoting effective policies aimed at  strengthening peace, sustainable development, social cohesion and  tolerance, non-discrimination and human rights.

Armed conflicts in different parts of the world have devastating  impact on cultural and religious monuments. Improving data  collection, introduction of reliable monitoring and evaluation  mechanisms, fostering partnerships and information sharing, as well  as use of digital and satellite technologies and innovative  solutions, create a vast toolkit of instruments to help to protect  cultural heritage and prevent cultural vandalism.

In the Tiwanaku Declaration on 13 July 2018 the members of the Forum  have deplored the fact that armed conflicts have become a serious  threat to the integrity of the world heritage monuments. As stated in  the Baghdad Declaration of 4 December, 2022, our nations share deep  concerns regarding the destruction, looting and appropriation of  cultural property, including religious sites.

In this regard, Armenia believes that ACF member states should exert  additional efforts to promote cooperation within prominent global  organizations, such as the UNESCO. There is an untapped potential in  promoting the remarkable cultural heritage of our ancient  civilizations, as the shared wealth of all humankind. Armenia stands  ready to pursuing joint initiatives together with the members of the  Forum within the framework of the UNESCO and other multilateral fora.

Mr. Chair,

Regrettably, the Armenian cultural heritage faces ongoing  destruction, desecration and appropriation in the territories in and  around Nagorno-Karabakh, which fell under Azerbaijan's control  following the 2020 war.  Through its relentless campaign to erase  Armenia's civilizational presence in the region, Azerbaijan seeks to  negate the very essence of this heritage.

The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage sites by Azerbaijan  represents a challenge not just to Armenia but to all of humanity. It  demands unequivocal condemnation and a resolute response. We deeply  appreciate UNESCO's proposal to dispatch an independent expert  mission to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mission that Azerbaijan has thus far  obstructed.

The cultural genocide on the basis of ethnic and religious hatred  committed against the heritage of the indigenous Armenian population  is part of a wider picture of state-led policy of eradication of  Armenians in their ancestral homeland through creating conditions  incompatible with life.

As I speak, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh face the threat to their  very existence in the lands of their ancestors. On 19 September  Azerbaijan unleashed yet another unprovoked large-scale aggression  against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Massive and targeted shelling  of Stepanakert and almost all other cities and settlements of  Nagorno-Karabakh with use of heavy weaponry has caused major  destruction and heavy human losses, with dozens of killed and  hundreds of wounded, including among civilians. Among the killed 7  civilians there are two children and three women.

This new wave of Azerbaijani aggression is preceded by the illegal  blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only humanitarian lifeline  connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outer world since 12  December 2022. This inhumane blockade has resulted in a full-fledged  humanitarian crisis and a real threat of starvation with a  particularly gruesome impact on the most vulnerable.

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Global Action  against Mass Atrocity Crimes (GAAMAC), the first Special Adviser on  the Prevention of Genocide Juan Ernesto Mendez, the former Prosecutor  of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo and many  others have alerted on the risk of commission of genocide.

We hope, that through our collective efforts and unwavering  dedication to the values of humanity, peace, and the protection of  cultural heritage, we will be able to make a meaningful contribution  to the global efforts aimed at averting the imminent humanitarian  catastrophe and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno- Karabakh.

Mr. Chair,

As a nation located on the crossroad of different civilizations with  ages-old traditions of mutually enriching interaction with different  nations and cultures Armenia has consistently expressed its readiness  to collaborate with international partners in the fair implementation  of measures designed to protect cultural heritage and to invest in  global efforts to promote intercultural dialogue and cultural  diversity.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate Armenia's commitment to the  cooperation with partner countries of the Ancient Civilizations Forum  to jointly promote and protect the common heritage, which is of  irreplaceable value to the entire mankind as unique expression of  history, identity and cultural memory.

I thank you for attention.