The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, has sent an official letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 20, expressing his gratitude for the signing of the ceasefire and the subsequent cessation of hostilities in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict zone, RFE/RL reported.

Also in the letter, the Armenian Patriarch asked President Putin to have the Artsakh cities of Shushi and Hadrut returned to Armenians, as well as the age-old Armenian Apostolic Church sanctuaries, whose preservation has become an important matter today, as the Azerbaijanis’ vandalism has already begun against them.

During the war, the small Armenian community in Israel provided assistance equivalent to more than $250,000, and its work continues to provide assistance—through donations and various other projects—to Armenia and Artsakh.