Artsakh's Foreign Ministry Responds to Aliyev's Visit to Hadrut

Displaying an absolute lack of respect for ongoing efforts aimed at a lasting resolution of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, accompanied by his wife, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, and other high-ranking officials, visited the occupied Hadrut region of the Republic of Artsakh. This is stated in a statement by the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

“During his stay in the occupied territories, President Aliyev personally instructed the officials accompanying him to erase medieval Armenian inscriptions from the walls of churches and monuments located in the occupied areas. Such official visits manifest Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian and militaristic politics, as well as further aggressive plans. The Republic of Artsakh has repeatedly informed the international community about the state-level cultural terrorism perpetrated by Azerbaijan, the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under its military occupation, and the gross promotion of genocidal expansionist policies. This genocidal policy constitutes a crime against humanity, a gross violation of international norms, treaties, resolutions, and agreements, and a threat to the entire civilized world.

We call on relevant international organizations to take all necessary measures to prevent the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage and to condemn Azerbaijan's genocidal policy. Inaction and indifference can have unpredictable consequences.”