Despite the satellite evidence regarding the destruction of Stepanakert’s Mother of God Cathedral, the Armenian government urges maximum caution in assessments. The Prime Minister of the country stated that this incident at the state level will not become the subject of international discussions, referring to previous experience and political pragmatism.

In the last few days, news was circulating in the information field about the possible destruction of the Presbyterian Church, which was consecrated in Stepanakert just a few years ago, in 2019. Yesterday, the International Center for Cultural Heritage of the Caucasus (Caucasus Heritage Watch) officially confirmed this information. Based on the data of Sentinel satellites, the experts recorded that the religious structure was destroyed between March 3 and April 2 of this year. It is expected that higher resolution photos will be available soon, which will allow to clarify the whole picture of what happened.

However, official Yerevan has chosen a very restrained position regarding this incident. During the government briefing held on April 23, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the need to deeply and comprehensively analyze the situation before taking drastic steps. The head of the government noted that such delicate topics require exceptional prudence, describing them as a “double-edged sword”.

The head of Armenia made it clear that the country does not intend to escalate the issue on diplomatic platforms. According to him, taking into account the previous experience, Armenia will not make the fact of the destruction of the temple a subject of international discussions at the official state level. The prime minister strengthened his position by quoting from the New Testament, reminding that they will be judged by the same judgment by which they are judged, and calling for maximum balance when making political decisions.

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