Author: Antonian Lara

The tents and the New year tree installed in the yard of Stepanakert Vallex Hotel are being dismantled, Deputy Mayor of Stepanakert Suren Tamrazyan informed on his Facebook page. The tents were set up to host Artsakh children for celebrating the New Year at the initiative of  Armenian PM’s wife Anna Hakobyan. 

“The decorated tents and the New Year tree are being dismantled now, our people are against this initiative,” the deputy mayor said. 

To note, Anna Hakobyan’s idea to organize New Year celebration in Artsakh has triggered anger among many people in Artsakh who called on Stepanakert residents to boycott the event. 

Armenia’s MFA Spokesperson has commented on the question regarding the statement of the UNESCO Secretariat. As the press department at the ministry reports, the UNESCO Secretariat publicly announced that only Azerbaijan has not responded on sending an expert mission of UNESCO to the Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent areas, in fact, clearly highlighting Azerbaijan’s destructive approach. This was followed by the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan accusing UNESCO of being biased; of course, Armenia was not forgotten as well. 

Asked for comment on that, MFA Spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan has noted: “I would not like to comment on relations between UNESCO and Azerbaijan, however, the content of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s statement on the issue was nothing more than a clear demonstration of “whataboutism” propaganda attempt. It indeed is concerning and emphasizes the need to reflect on the roots of the problem and reaffirm the truths. All previous attempts of involving the UNESCO in preservation of cultural heritage within the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been thwarted by Azerbaijan. Let me remind that upon the request of the Armenian side regarding the barbaric destruction of the cross-stones (khachkars) in Old Jugha, UNESCO expressed readiness to visit the region, but it was rejected by Azerbaijan.”  

In Naghdalyan’s words, Armenia and Artsakh have always emphasized the importance of preservation of cultural heritage and have always demonstrated a respective and careful approach towards the cultural values of other peoples and religions. “The restoration of the Gohar Agha Upper Mosque in Shushi, Artsakh, in 2019 is the latest case in point. Unfortunately, we have not witnessed a reciprocal approach from Azerbaijan, which for decades fought against the Armenian cultural presence in Artsakh and Azerbaijan, including through the mass destruction of monuments,” stressed Naghdalyan, adding: “The issue of preservation of cultural heritage has played a key role in the current context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – a fact that has been reflected in recent statements by both the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Co-Chair countries as well as the international community in general. Armenia welcomes and is ready to support the implementation of the UNESCO fact-finding mission in Artsakh and the adjacent areas as soon as possible, which will contribute to the efforts to preserve cultural heritage in the territories which fell under the Azerbaijani control and to prevent possible negative 

The Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography has joined the call of the Yerevan State University Academic Council and the National Academy of Sciences demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.

“Realizing that our homeland is in a deep crisis today and this situation is fraught with fatal consequences, the administrative and teaching staff of the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, including doctors of science, professors and honored artists of Armenia (120 citizens in total), join the call of YSU and National Academy of Sciences demanding the resignation of the prime minister,” the institute said in a statement on Thursday.

“We also call for election of new prime minister by the National Assembly and formation of a government composed of exclusively professionals,” the statement read.