The topic of preservation of historical and cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] and adjacent regions is always discussed in our contacts with both Baku and Yerevan. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told this to a press briefing Friday.

"The topic, in particular, was touched upon during the working visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the first half of May. We [Russia] are in favor of the immediate organizing of a UNESCO mission to the region. We are working also along the lines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs," she added.

Zakharova recalled that the April 13 statement adopted by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs notes that the preservation and protection of religious and cultural heritage are among the issues that require additional efforts from both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

To note, however, Azerbaijan distorts—under the pretext of "repair work"—the Armenian historical and cultural monuments in the Artsakh territories it has occupied as a result of the 2020 war.