The Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan states that although the international community, in general, has not properly condemned Azerbaijan's ongoing acts of vandalism and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage some international institutions have highlighted cultural values over political considerations and stressed the urgent need to preserve them.
In a statement released on Friday the Ombudsman welcomes the recent joint statement issued by two reputable international NGOs – the Europa Nostra and the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) on the holistic preservation of the integrity and diversity of the rich cultural heritage which is located in the Caucasus region which is the _expression_ of a multicultural and multireligious past and present of this region and Europe as a whole.
In Stepanyan's words, the two NGOs offered their contribution to the due protection of the integrity, authenticity, and diversity of the rich cultural heritage in and around the area of Nagorno Karabakh. At the same time, they urge the UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Minsk-group to join efforts towards the holistic safeguard of the endangered multicultural and multireligious heritage in the affected area, including by sending an impartial team of European (international) experts to the region to conduct comprehensive, objective and scientific research․
The Ombudsman states that such calls and active steps towards the preservation of cultural heritage are to be included in the agenda of the relevant international organizations and be protected on an equal basis, regardless of any political considerations.