Responding to journalists’ questions about the destruction of Armenian sanctuaries in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Prime Minister of Armenia cited the hypothetical example of the mosque in Artsvashen. Nikol Pashinyan urged to separate the issues of cultural heritage and property rights.

During the briefing held in the government, the Prime Minister referred to the complex topic of preservation of historical and cultural monuments in the context of the border delimitation process. The debate unfolded over the issue raised about the destruction of Armenian churches in Stepanakert.

In response, the head of the government proposed to model a situation where Artsvashen returns under the control of Armenia, and it turns out that a large mosque was built there in 2016 on the lands of citizens who have ownership certificates.

Pashinyan asked what the state’s response would be in such a case, and whether the entire area can be declared a monument, depriving the people of Artsvashen of the opportunity to return to their homes. The representatives of the media, in their turn, expressed their disagreement with regard to putting a sign of equality between the actions of the Azerbaijani side and the hypothetical situation in Armenia.

The journalists stressed that it refers to the destruction of the Armenian Christian temples built in Stepanakert itself, not the structures of the surrounding regions.

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