Preservation of cultural treasures ​​of Artsakh must be on international organizations Agenda – Artsakh ombudsman

Although the international community, in general, has not properly condemned Azerbaijan’s ongoing acts of vandalism and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage and has not taken the necessary steps to prevent them, some international organizations have highlighted cultural treasures ​​over political considerations and stressed the urgent need to preserve them, Gegham Stepanyan, Artsakh Human Rights Defender, has said in a statement.

He welcomed the recent joint statement issued by two well-known international NGOs, Europa Nostra and the Association of European Archaeologists, on the comprehensive protection of the integrity, originality and diversity of the rich cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the multicultural, multi-religious past and present of all of Europe. In a statement, the two organizations expressed their support for properly ensuring the integrity, originality and diversity of the rich cultural heritage in the region.

“At the same time, they call on UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the OSCE Minsk Group to work together to ensure the full protection of cultural and religious heritage in the affected areas, including by sending an impartial team of European (international) experts to the region to conduct comprehensive scientific research on rich cultural heritage,” the statement goes on saying. “The ombudsman emphasizes that such calls for the preservation of cultural values and active steps must be included in the agenda of relevant international organizations, be protected on an equal basis, regardless of political expediency.”