Preservation of Artsakh historical and cultural heritage discussed in Rome

The 33rd session of the General Assembly of the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) was held in Rome, Italy.

The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports reported that at the session, Armenia was represented by Harutyun Vanyan, Head of the Department of Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, and diplomats from the Armenian Embassy in Italy. Ambassador of Armenia to Italy Tsovinar Hambardzumyan also attended the opening session.

Harutyun Vanyan delivered a report on the issues of preservation of the historical and cultural heritage in Artsakh and Azerbaijan’s ongoing policy of eliminating Armenian traces from Artsakh, destroying historical and cultural monuments, and falsifying Armenian identity. In particular, he emphasized that saving the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Artsakh will only be possible through the pressure and levers of reputable international agencies. Vanyan referred to a similar situation when, unfortunately, it was not possible to save Armenian heritage in Nakhichevan.

Specific facts and numbers on vandalism and the destruction of monuments by Azerbaijan were presented at the session. Vanyan also mentioned the resolutions and decisions adopted by international organizations, which Azerbaijan has been disregarding.

During the session, an agreement was reached to cooperate as part of the ICCROM First Aid and Resilience (FAR) project for cultural heritage in times of crisis, taking into account the number of endangered monuments in Armenia.

Discussions on specific topics will continue in the near future.