The Policy of Erasing Armenian Heritage Gains New Quality as Azerbaijan Reaches the Vatican: MP

The policy of Azerbaijani vandalism, destruction, or appropriation of the cultural heritage of Artsakh continues. In this “activity,” Azerbaijan has found international partners, and regrettably, has reached the Vatican. This was stated by Lilith Galstyan, a member of the Armenian Assembly’s “Armenia” faction.

“What do the Armenian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports think about the ongoing Azerbaijani vandalism, destruction, or appropriation of the cultural heritage of Artsakh? In their ‘activities,’ the Azerbaijanis have found international partners, and unfortunately, they have reached the Vatican. Recently, the L'Osservatore Romano, published in the Vatican and signed by Rossella Fabiani, featured an article titled ‘The Roots of Christianity in Azerbaijan: Following the Trail of the Albanian Apostolic Church,’ where the author presents a so-called exploratory visit to the ‘Caucasian Albania,’ which is actually Artsakh.

Referring to some local academic, the author promotes the theory of the arrival of Armenians in the region, recording that they came from Iranian and Turkish Azerbaijani lands. According to another assertion, the Udis were forcibly converted and became followers of the Apostolic Church by the local Armenians. During her visit to Azerbaijan, R. Fabiani was accompanied by S. Hajiyeva, a pupil of Akhundov, a ‘specialist’ in Albanian culture. Naturally, the author draws an unconditional conclusion that the 13th-century monastic complexes of Dadivank and Gandzasar are the largest manifestations of Albanian culture and the Albanian church located on Azerbaijani territory.

As you can see, the Azerbaijani policy of erasing the Armenian footprint in Artsakh is acquiring new qualities and manifestations. It is regrettable, but it is a truth that Azerbaijan has managed to make the Vatican an unwitting participant in its cultural cleansing/cultural genocide. Incidentally, in the aforementioned article, Dadivank is presented as the Albanian Vatican.

Let us recall that L'Osservatore Romano has been the Vatican's only daily publication since 1861. Naturally, the scale of its dissemination is understandable, as well as the targeting by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine. As a result, a publication belonging to the Catholic Church has the headline: ‘Azerbaijan, the Cradle of Christianity.’ It is clear how this is justified in Azerbaijan; the appropriation or destruction of Armenian culture is a priority of state policy in Azerbaijan. Mehriban Aliyeva’s so-called ‘mission’ in UNESCO is within the framework of these objectives. Incidentally, UNESCO has not sent an observational mission to Artsakh, despite numerous assurances and obligations based on conventions. What do the Armenian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Education think about this?

Are you going to tolerate the cultural genocide following the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh? Perhaps you will raise your voice, display at least minimal political dignity, and defend our collective heritage and identity?

By the way, not long ago, Pope visited Armenia in the context of the 1700th anniversary of Christianity, a statue of Saint Narekatsi was installed in the Vatican, and a service was held in memory of the victims of the genocide. However, to what extent is it justified to have expectations from the powers that embed ‘The History of the Armenian People’ within ‘The History of Armenia’?