12:45, 7 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian experts and diplomats have warned the participants of the 33rd session of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) General Assembly in Rome on Azerbaijan’s state policy of destroying all Armenian traces in Nagorno-Karabakh and falsifying Armenian identity.

Armenia was represented at the session by Harutyun Vanyan, Director of the Department of Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and diplomats from the Armenian Embassy in Italy, the ministry said in a statement. Ambassador of Armenia to Italy Tsovinar Hambardzumyan attended the opening session.

Vanyan delivered a report on the issues of preservation of the historical-cultural monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh. He stressed that saving the Armenian historical-cultural heritage in NK will only be possible through the pressure and levers by reputable international organizations. Vanyan noted that unfortunately the Armenian heritage in Nakhijevan was not saved in the past during a similar situation.

Specific facts and numbers on vandalisms and destruction of monuments by Azerbaijan were presented at the session. The report also noted the resolutions and decisions adopted by reputable international organizations, which Azerbaijan has been disregarding.

An agreement was reached to cooperate as part of the ICCROM First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAR) project, given the number of at-risk monuments in Armenia.