A statement from The Met's President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss and Director Max Hollein on Armenian cultural heritage sites:

1/4 "The recent bloodshed and destruction in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is a global tragedy of grave concern to us all."

2/4 "In addition to our plea and hope for the violence to stop, as museum leaders we urge that cultural heritage sites be protected.

The Met is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting human creativity of over 5,000 years from across the globe."

3/4 "As organizers of the 'Armenia!' exhibition in 2018—the first major show exploring the remarkable artistic achievements of the Armenian people in a global context over 14 centuries—we have watched in horror at the recent violence and bloodshed in the Nagorno-Karabakh region."

4/4 "We implore all those involved to respect these international cultural heritage sites, which enrich our world and have survived for thousands of years. The loss of cultural heritage sites is permanent, and is a grievous theft from future generations."