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The Armenian cultural heritage has become subject to ongoing destruction, desecration and appropriation in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Vahe Gevorgyan said at the 7th Ministerial meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum on Monday.

"Azerbaijan’s most recent use of force in September 2023, resulting in ethnic cleansing of the entire indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh, has further endangered the Armenian cultural heritage," the Foreign Ministry quoted the diplomat as saying.

"The state-sponsored policy of deliberate destruction and alteration of the identity of cultural heritage sites represents a challenge not just to Armenia but to all of humanity. The gravity of the situation requires urgent efforts by the international community. In this regard, we support deployment of the UNESCO's independent expert mission to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mission that Azerbaijan has thus far obstructed," Gevorgyan noted.