ArmInfo.Armenia's Deputy FM Vahe Gevorgyan participated in the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of Ancient Civilizations in Bagdad.
Participating in the forum organized on the initiative of the Iraqi foreign minister were representatives of Armenia, Peru, Bolivia, China, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Iran, Mexico UNESCO and of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).
In his speech, Mr Gevorgyan highlighted the role of the Forum as a platform for a cultural dialogue and cooperation, protection of the rich cultural heritage of ancient civilizations.
He stressed that the ancient Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is faced with the threat of destruction and informed the participants of Azerbaijan's policy of destroying, desecrating, misappropriating it.
Mr Gevorgyan highlighted the importance of international support in preventing the destruction of ancient Armenian cultural heritage. In this context, he emphasized a UNESCO monitoring mission in Nagorno- Karabakh and in the adjacent territories, in conformity with the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954.
Mr Gevorgyan also held a meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid. The Armenian diplomat pointed out that Iraq is Armenia's reliable partner in the region and highlighted the importance of further development of bilateral cooperation in all areas.