Armenian MP Taguhi Tovmasyan from the opposition With Honor faction dismissed the Armenian authorities’ peace agenda as a “dangerous trap” amid Azerbaijan’s policy to erase traces of the Armenian heritage in Artsakh.

Below is the full statement issued by Tovmasyan on Monday, 18 April marking the International Day for Monuments and Sites.

"Today marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites.

For decades, we have been witnessing how Azerbaijan, in blatant violation of international law and its committeemen’s within the UN and the Council of Europe, has been deliberately destroying the Armenian cultural heritage and carrying out cultural genocide by various means.

Barbaric destruction of churches, monuments and cemeteries is taking place, while attempts are being made to ascribe Armenian monuments to the Albanian culture.

During and after the 44-day war in 2020, these crimes gained new momentum and reached enormous proportions. Steps to eradicate the Armenian identity and Christianity in Artsakh go to show once again that the peace agenda is only a dangerous trap for us.

At various meetings on the sidelines of my visit to the United States, I passed on to congressmen the reports of the Artsakh ombudsman about Azerbaijan's destruction of Artsakh's cultural heritage and the hate propaganda. The civilized world must respond to Azerbaijan's genocidal actions.”