Appropriation of cultural values remains a serious concern – Deputy Foreign Minister

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. On November 26, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Vahan Kostanyan, participated in the 10th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum held in Portugal.

During the event, Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a speech at the meeting of the Group of Friends of the Alliance.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kostanyan expressed gratitude to Portugal, the host country, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations Secretariat for organizing the Forum and addressing current topics on the agenda.

The Deputy Foreign Minister reaffirmed Armenia's commitment to actively contributing to joint efforts to counter hate speech, racial and ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.

"The prevention agenda remains one of the key priorities of Armenia's foreign policy. Armenia is the author of the UN Human Rights Council's 'Prevention of Genocide' resolution. On December 12-13 this year, Armenia will host the 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide, which will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of international mechanisms for early warning and response to the threat of genocide and other crimes.

The attacks on cultural heritage and the destruction and appropriation of cultural values, which we are witnessing in many regions, including the South Caucasus, remain a serious concern," said the Deputy Foreign Minister in his speech, stressing the significance of the issue for Armenia.

Addressing the issue of strengthening peace and stability in the region, the Deputy Foreign Minister noted that, despite the existing challenges, Armenia remains optimistic about the process of normalizing relations with its neighbors and expects mutually constructive steps from them.