YEREVAN. – France regrets that UNESCO has not yet conducted research in Karabakh. The ambassador of France to Armenia, Jonathan Lacote, stated this during a press conference on Wednesday.

To note, UNESCO has repeatedly petitioned to the Azerbaijani authorities for the right to enter the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) territories now under its control; but so far, in vain.

As the French diplomat stressed, the preservation of Karabakh's cultural heritage was one of the main issues of concern, both during and after the recent hostilities. In this context, Lacote said that after the ceasefire in November 2020, French President Emanuel Macron had met to discuss the preservation of cultural heritage.

The ambassador stressed that France is in favor of UNESCO representatives entering the aforesaid region as soon as possible. "We are very sorry that the relevant research is not being carried out yet," he added.

Also, Jonathan Lacote stressed that cultural heritage will be at the focus of Armenian-French cooperation.