Madenataran to Shelter Endangered Palestinian Cultural Artifacts
Armenia and the Palestinian State have reached an agreement for the Madenataran Ancient Manuscript Institute to provide temporary shelter for endangered Palestinian cultural artifacts, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan announced on Wednesday.
Kostanyan met with Palestine’s Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian on Wednesday in New York, on the margins of a United Nations conference on the implementation of a Two-State Solution.
The two diplomats discussed the situation in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, according to a statement by Armenia’s Foreign Ministry.
“The officials touched upon the dynamic of bilateral relations and exchanged views on possible joint programs. The participation of Palestinian diplomats in the training program for foreign diplomats implemented by the Diplomatic School of Armenia was commended,” the statement added.
Yerevan last year recognized the Palestinian State amid the growing violence and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. While the Palestinian Authority welcomed Armenia’s decision, the Israeli government condemned the Armenian government and warned Yerevan of “severe long-term consequences.”
While addressing the UN conference on Palestine on Wednesday, Kostanyan, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, also welcomed France’s recognition of Palestine and the United Kingdom’s intention to follow suit if Israel did not halt the attacks on Gaza.
“Armenia welcomes the announcement of President of France Emmanuel Macron and the recent statement by the UK on intention to recognize the independence of the State of Palestine. We are also particularly proud that Foreign Ministers of France and Palestine had a chance to meet in Armenia in the margins of the Yerevan dialogue diplomatic forum, paving a way for this historic development,” Kostanyan said at the forum.
“Based on our own experience Armenia clearly knows what the horror of war is. Despite the limited resources we have been trying to support the needs of Palestinian people. Based on the agreement between the President of Egypt and the Prime-Minister of Armenia we sent humanitarian aid to Gaza, we do also support the activities of UNRWA,” Kostanyan added, referring to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
“Taking this opportunity, allow me also to announce that we reached an agreement with Palestine that the Matenadaran-Armenian institute of ancient manuscripts will temporarily become a shelter for Palestinian endangered cultural heritage,” Kostanyan announced.
“Armenia also emphasizes the importance of ensuring the safety, security, and full rights of Christian communities in both states. As one of the world’s oldest Christian nations, we attach particular significance to the preservation of the Christian heritage in the Holy Land. Armenia hopes that the historic Status Quo arrangements governing the Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and beyond will be fully respected, as a cornerstone of inter-religious harmony and peaceful coexistence,” Armenia’s deputy foreign minister added.
