by Kostas Onisenko
Russia’s foreign ministry is monitoring the situation in Hagia Sophia and has taken a stand on the issue of its conversion into a mosque, saying that any decision by the Turkish justice must take into account UNESCO’s guidelines.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, answering a relevant question from the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, said Moscow was waiting for a balanced decision that would take into account UNESCO guidelines.
“We consider the temple extremely important for all mankind in terms of culture and history. Hagia Sophia is included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we believe that any request related to the change of this status should take this fact into account and all requirements related to it, such as preservation and accessibility, will be strictly observed,” Zakharova added.
“We expect that any decisions on the status of this unique monument will be of a balanced nature, taking into account how sensitive this issue is for the faithful, the well-known inter-confessional context and the established practice of international law for determining the UNESCO World Heritage management,” Maria Zakharova concludes.