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Under the guise of “restoration”, Azerbaijan is dismantling and destroying one of the most important Armenian cultural values, the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Artsakh’s Shushi it occupied during the 2020 war, Anna Kostanyan, a lawmaker from the opposition Bright Armenia faction, said on Tuesday.

According to her, this act is yet another proof that Azerbaijan cannot restore the cultural heritage of a nation, against which it has propagated hatred at the highest state level for decades.

"The purpose is crystal clear – to erase the Armenian presence and trace in this region. This policy of attributing Armenian Christian cultural heritage to others in Artsakh has been repeatedly criticized by historians and culture experts. This is the reason why Azerbaijan still refuses to allow UNESCO’s independent expert group to visit the region,” she said at the parliament.

Kostanyan stated the international community only makes calls, failing to take any practical steps to preserve the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Artsakh.

"Otherwise, how can Azerbaijan proceed with its destructive activities? I would like to ask whether our competent authorities have properly applied to UNESCO, the Blue Shield International and a number of other organizations dealing with preservation of cultural heritage in conflict zones to save our historical and cultural heritage. This is not the first time Azerbaijan has carried out such actions against the Shushi cathedral without the permission of the Armenian Apostolic Church," the MP said.