International Community Must Urgently Intervene to Preserve Armenian Cultural Heritage: MFA

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Anna Naghdalyan, responded to media inquiries regarding recent statements from the Azerbaijani presidential office and foreign ministry concerning the destruction of the Holy Mother of God Church in Mekhakavan (Jebrail).

Question: The Azerbaijani authorities have issued justifications concerning the destruction of the Holy Mother of God Church. How do you comment on that?

Answer: The Azerbaijani side has confirmed the intentional and planned nature of the destruction of the Holy Mother of God Church in Mekhakavan, stating that it was carried out as a decision of the Azerbaijani government. All attempts by the Azerbaijani side to justify the barbaric destruction of a place of worship are concerning and condemnable.

It is telling that at the same time, the Azerbaijani side remains silent regarding the accusations and evidence about the destruction of the Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Jum) in the city of Shushi, which has a history of over 200 years, likely not finding any even fictitious justification for this latest act of barbarism.

We once again emphasize that the international community, primarily the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the countries involved, as well as UNESCO, must urgently intervene to preserve Armenian cultural heritage.