Honorable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I am pleased to welcome you to Yerevan for the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum.
I extend my gratitude for your presence which manifests your commitment to cooperate in addressing the pressing challenges related to intercultural dialogue, safeguarding cultural heritage and fostering culture of peace and non-violence.
Esteemed colleagues,
Armenia believes that the Ancient Civilizations Forum stands as a unique platform for cultural dialogue and cooperation on strengthening mutual understanding and tolerance. Throughout history, civilizations have served as essential sources of human creativity, knowledge and ethical principles - repositories of cultural memory that continue to shape our collective identity. By placing cultural diversity at the heart of dialogue, we not only acknowledge the profound influence of ancient civilizations in forging today’s global cultural landscape, but also discover how their legacies can guide us toward peace, respect and mutual understanding and in the same time embrace other cultures and diversity.
This unique platform not only allows us to address traditional themes on the multilateral agenda, but also has huge untapped potential to foster intercultural exchange and culture of peace.
We firmly believe in investing in the tools of cultural diplomacy, educational initiatives, cultural and spiritual tourism exchanges to counter narratives of hatred and division. Cultural tourism, in particular, provides an effective means for people-to-people contacts and intercultural dialogue, fostering empathy and genuine appreciation for cultural diversity.
Another prospective area of cooperation is protection of cultural heritage from the impact of climate change and extreme weather conditions. We can also exchange best practices in the field of heritage protection, while ensuring nature conservation and biodiversity.
Furthermore, our commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage now extends to harnessing cutting-edge technologies. From digitization and virtual reality to 3D mapping and satellite monitoring, these emerging tools open unprecedented opportunities to preserve our shared legacies for future generations.
Esteemed colleagues,
We gather at a time when the multilateral system and international law face unprecedented challenges. The world is confronted with evolving security threats, the resurgence of conflicts marked by immense human suffering, identity-based hatred, and drastic growth of the deliberate destruction or misappropriation of cultural heritage. Such acts, often driven by the weaponization of history and false narratives, serve as tools to justify territorial claims and exacerbate divisions, undermining the very foundations of international peace and security. Unfortunately, Armenia is among countries that continuously faces such challenges.
To this end, Armenia strongly supports strengthening multilateral institutions, specialized agencies and legal instruments to more effectively protect cultural heritage and advance culture of peace, understanding and mutual respect.
Moreover, Armenia is committed to international cooperation within the framework of the Ancient Civilizations Forum. We support strengthening the capacities of the Forum to enable its ambitious, practical actions in response to the evolving and new challenges.
Esteemed colleagues,
In line with our policy of cultural heritage protection, Armenia places special emphasis on the central role of UNESCO. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, a cornerstone in our collective efforts. As an active member of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, Armenia also tries to contribute to global efforts in this field. Recently, we supported Lebanon’s request for urgent enhanced protection for 34 cultural sites, promptly taking action to counter the threats posed by recent hostilities. We have also shared our expertise in projects like UNESCO’s "Revive the Spirit of Mosul" initiative, demonstrating our commitment to international cooperation and collective heritage preservation.
In conclusion, Armenia is proud to be a part of this family of ancient civilizations. This privilege carries with it a great responsibility: to preserve humanity’s collective heritage and to protect the values and traditions that form the civilized foundations of our world. We will continue to work with the Member States of the Forum towards a more peaceful, just and harmonious future.
I hope during your stay in Yerevan you will enjoy the millennia-old cultural legacy of the Armenian people and the documented evidence of its civilizational interaction with many of the countries members of our Forum.
Thank you.
