We were informed with indignation that the Azerbaijani authorities have razed to the ground the Saint Hakob Church in Stepanakert city and the cross-stones and monuments in the surrounding area, which, according to Azerbaijani sources, were allegedly illegal structures subject to dismantling. The information received about the destruction of the Diocesan Seat of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Stepanakert is also of great concern, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin announced in a statement Thursday.

“The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin strongly condemns the consistent destruction of the [Armenian] spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh [i.e. Nagorno-Karabakh] by the Azerbaijani authorities. It is obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to target Armenian Christian holy sites with the aim of erasing the Armenian trace from Artsakh.

This state-level vandalism being carried out once again proves that Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy has not undergone any changes, which makes the statements about establishing a stable and lasting peace with Armenia questionable.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin calls on the head of the RA [i.e. the Republic of Armenia] government and representatives of the authorities to take urgent and effective steps to prevent the systematic appropriation and destruction of the [Armenian] spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh.

We also call on all states and international organizations interested in the preservation of cultural heritage, peaceful coexistence and cooperation of peoples in the region to take effective measures to stop cultural crimes [by Azerbaijan] in Artsakh,” the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin added in its statement.