The website of Artsakh's cultural heritage monumentwatch.org addressed the process of demolishing the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Artsakh Republic.
"On September 2, 2025, the Independence Day of the Artsakh Republic, the Azerbaijani side began the process of demolishing the building of the Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the center of Stepanakert. This is not only a political and symbolic nature, but also aimed at destroying the historical memory and cultural heritage of Artsakh. The demolition of the building was accompanied by the distribution of photos and videos, which indicates the purpose of the action.
The building of the city center was one of the important components of Artsakh's state institutional memory and the symbol of political independence. It should also be noted that the building was a serious architectural structure created in the 1950s and was included in the list of monuments of the Artsakh Republic. With this step, Azerbaijan violates the fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law and at the same time a number of international conventions.
First of all, it contradicts the 1954 Convention on the Protection of Cultural Values in the Hague Convention and the Second Protocol of Cultural Values, which prohibit the intentional destruction or damage of cultural values. In addition, the demolition of the building contradicts UNESCO's 1972 "World Convention on the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage", which obliges states to maintain historical values in their territory, regardless of political circumstances.
At the same time, it violates UNESCO's 2003 "Non-Material Cultural Heritage Protection", as the state institutions also bears the "Declaration of Indigenous Peoples", which forces states to protect the historical memory of native peoples and cultural heritage. Thus, the demolition of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry building should be considered not only as a political pressure mechanism, but also a manifestation of cultural genocide, which aims to eliminate all signs of the Armenian presence and identity in Artsakh. "
