Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

The Azerbaijani Culture Ministry and the International Research Center for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Values (ICCROM) have discussed joint training on the restoration of historical monuments.

The training on restoration planned under an agreement between Azerbaijan and ICCROM was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the meeting with Executive Director of the International Research Center for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Values (ICCROM) Webber Ndoro, Anar Karimov touched upon the Armenian vandalism on the previously occupied Azerbaijani territories.

He stressed that the Azerbaijani army restored the country's territorial integrity during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Now, Azerbaijan is carrying out extensive restoration and reconstruction work in the liberated lands.

Karimov informed the ICCROM executive director about the work done by the Culture Ministry in this direction.

He stressed that the Culture Ministry conducted an inventory of the liberated areas, comparing the past and present conditions of historical and cultural monuments.

The cultural construction work has already begun in Shusha, one of the ancient cultural centers of Azerbaijan.

The minister reiterated the need for ICCROM's support for the restoration of historical monuments.

Ndoro shared impressions about his participation in the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Baku in 2019.

The sides exchanged views on joint training aimed at restoring the historical monuments in the liberated territories.

They also discussed the establishment of a technical commission and the regional training centers in Azerbaijan.

ICCROM is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide through training, information, research, cooperation and advocacy programmes.

The organization aims to enhance the field of conservation-restoration and raise awareness to the importance and fragility of cultural heritage.

The creation of the center took place as a result of a proposal at the UNESCO General Conference held in New Delhi, in 1956.

Three years later, the center was established in Rome, Italy, where its headquarters remain to this day.

ICCROM Member States currently number 137, including Azerbaijan.

Since 2002, Azerbaijan and ICCROM have successfully cooperated in the preservation of cultural heritage.

In 2019, ICCROM in partnership with the Azerbaijani Culture Ministry, the UNESCO World Heritage Center, the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve, and the State Service of Cultural Heritage Conservation, Development and Rehabilitation hosted the 3rd World Heritage Site Managers's Forum in Baku.

The forum agenda included the aims and objectives of the Site Managers Forum within the scope of the World Heritage and Capacity Building, keynote presentation on cultural landscapes and integrated conservation and other topics.

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