Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia hopes that Turkey will fulfill its obligations regarding the status of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lavrov added, in a statement to the Greek agency "our mother", that "Hagia Sophia" has a very special value from a spiritual point of view for Russians.

He said: "We proceed from the fact that the Turkish side, as it has assured us many times, will be guided by the principles of mutual respect, and will deal with the feelings of the Orthodox faithful with the required attention, and will fulfill its obligations to comply with all the rules and conditions relating to the status of this site and ensure its complete safety, and access to Russian tourists and pilgrims. ".

Lavrov indicated that the Russian side regularly communicates its position on this issue to the Turkish partners, including at the highest levels.

According to him, the activity of the observation mission of experts from the UNESCO World Heritage Center is extremely important to assess the condition of the temple.

On July 10, the Turkish State Council, the highest administrative court in the country, announced the transformation of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul from a museum to a mosque. Which makes it imperative for tourists from now on to abide by the rules of ethics for mosques.

Source: TASS

By:Nadeemy Haded