YEREVAN. – If Azerbaijan is interested in the preservation of the cultural heritage, they have to address the  the Nagorno- Karabakh Republic (NKR), spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

His comment came in response to the statement by Azerbaijani culture minister Abulfas Garayev who claimed “Armenians are destroying Azerbaijani monuments”.

“The accusations of the Azerbaijani side are at least groundless and inappropriate. Apparently, Baku completely ‘forgot’ about the destruction of the ancient Armenian cemetery in Nakhchivan, where hundreds of ancient khachkars were destroyed by bulldozers, and the territory itself was turned into a training ground. International organizations repeatedly appealed to the Azerbaijani authorities to gain access to the territory of the former cemetery. The Azerbaijani authorities refused to grant permission, including to the US Ambassador,” Balayan recalled.

 At the same time, he emphasized that if Baku is concerned over the preservation of monuments, they should apply to the authorities of the NKR.