Zakharova gives assessment of Armenian cultural and spiritual  heritage in occupied Artsakh

ArmInfo.Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gave an assessment of   destruction of Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage by Azerbaijan in occupied Artsakh.

On April 24, during a weekly briefing, in response to a journalist's  request to assess the destruction of Armenian heritage in Artsakh,  particularly given recent reports of the destruction of the Holy  Mother of God Cathedral and the Church of St. Hakob (Jacob) in  Stepanakert, as well as khachkars and monuments located in the  surrounding area, Zakharova inquired whether official Yerevan had  given any assessment of the incident. Having received a negative  response, Zakharova suggested asking Yerevan officials. "We don't  think it's our fault. I can say this now, because we've repeatedly  raised the issue of the inadmissibility of a war on monuments. Who  better than us to know what it's like to have monuments of your  culture, of a shared culture, groundlessly destroyed? And we're not  changing our approach, and we don't have double standards on this  issue. We have a single standard   this cannot be done, no matter  where it occurs," said the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

She then hastened to remind everyone that the trilateral agreements  concluded between Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan at the highest  level from 2020 to 2022 included a humanitarian reconciliation track.   Zakharova noted that this includes the return and exchange of all  detained persons, respectful treatment of monuments, architectural  monuments, and memorial complexes, and the exchange of information  between the two countries through relevant agencies and public  organizations involved in the search for missing persons. She added  that the demand for a solution to these issues remains relevant in  Armenian and Azerbaijani society today.

"Therefore, if requested, we are ready to provide our partners with  the necessary assistance, but I believe it would be a good idea to  address such questions first and foremost to the Armenian  leadership," Zakharova concluded.