
‘’Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,
I would like to convey my gratitude to the Government of Peru for convening this 4th Ministerial meeting.
I would also like to welcome the participation of the United Mexican States as a new member of the Ancient Civilizations Forum.
What brings us together today is the vast history and rich cultural heritage of every nation here. This Forum has become a unique platform to cherish the histories and values that our civilizations have accumulated throughout the past millennia.
Armenia, as a cradle of centuries-old traditions and civilizational heritage, appreciates the important role of the Ancient Civilizations Forum as a platform for cultural dialogue and cooperation among member states and beyond. The turbulent and challenging year that we have faced has proven that now constructive dialogue and joint efforts matter more than ever. It has also reminded us that the heritage and wisdom of our ancient civilizations remain alive and relevant in today’s globalized world. Thus, today we have the opportunity to draw lessons and inspiration from our heritage and move forward together.
This Ancient Civilizations Forum allows us to prioritize the promotion of cultural diversity and peace. It enables us to reiterate our commitment to the goals of tolerance and diversity as prerequisites for fostering a culture of peace.
Distinguished colleagues,
In an important platform like this, we cannot turn a blind eye to the alarming events unfolding in our region.
While the international community focused on the response and recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, on September 27 Azerbaijan launched pre-planned large-scale aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh. In this war, Azerbaijan was directly supported by Turkey which transported mercenaries and foreign terrorist fighters to Azerbaijan and deployed them against the people of Artsakh.
As a result of this aggression thousands of objects of Armenian cultural heritage fell under the control of Azerbaijani armed forces. Nagorno-Karabakh has an extremely rich cultural and religious heritage with several thousands of monuments providing material evidence for the long history of Armenians in the region. Early-Christian churches from the 4th century and many archaeological sites are architectural wonders with ancient inscriptions, murals, and sculptures integral to the Armenian history and its contribution to global cultural heritage.
Armenia has ample reasons to believe that Azerbaijan will target the evidence for our millennia-old indigenous connection to this land by intentionally destroying the Armenian monuments and cultural sites. This threat is well justified, given the multiple precedents of Azerbaijan’s intentional destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage. During the course of this war, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces within a few hours struck twice the 19th century Holy Savior (Ghazanchetsots) Cathedral - a historic and religious symbol of the city of Shushi by precise striking drones attesting to the intentional nature of the attack. The same Cathedral and the St. John the Baptist church (Kanach zham) were vandalized and partially destroyed only a few days after the establishment of the ceasefire exemplifying the disrespect and threat towards the Armenian cultural heritage.
Azerbaijan has also been responsible for systematic cultural destruction for decades. Perhaps the most notorious act was the destruction of several thousand giant engraved cross-stones, called in Armenian khachkars, and tombstones of the medieval Armenian cemetery of Old Jugha in Nakhichevan, bulldozed by the Azerbaijani army during peacetime and far from the conflict zone. 15 years ago this month, the destruction of in total 89 medieval churches, 5,840 ornate cross-stones, and 22,000 historical tombstones was completed. There is sufficient evidence, including photos and videos, documenting this barbaric act.
Targeting cultural heritage sites, especially in war situations, is strictly prohibited by several international conventions, including the UNESCO Hague...
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