Syria and Russia sign a cooperation agreement in cultural affairs

Moscow, (ST) – In Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, the activities of the International Forum for the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage kicked off yesterday, with the participation of Syria.

Dr. Labana Mashouh, Minister of Culture, affirmed in a speech during the inauguration that Syria was the first to sign the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, due to its belief that its cultural heritage is unique and exceptional by all criteria, due to its deep roots in history, originality and diversity.

Mashouh said that Syria witnessed, during the last decade, a terrorist war targeting the tangible cultural heritage, which was afflicted by deliberate vandalism, unjust excavations, theft and smuggling, and the subsequent siege represented by unilateral coercive measures that had negative effects on efforts to protect our global cultural and natural heritage. She praised the efforts made by Syrian specialists to preserve our heritage and ensuring its sustainability.

Mashouh said that Russia, the friendly country, stands by Syria in repelling terrorism and limiting the effects of the unjust blockade it is exposed to. She stressed that Syria will not forget this fair and honorable position that Russia has taken  towards it.

Mashouh considered that the positive Syrian-Russian cooperation in the project of restoring the Arch of Triumph in the ancient city of Palmyra and other cultural projects embodies a sincere common desire to protect a great cultural heritage with expert hands.

For her part, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova affirmed in her speech her country’s openness to international dialogue and cooperation in all fields. She called for the removal of politicization of culture and the protection of the global cultural heritage.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chairman of the Federal Committee of Russia at UNESCO, addressed a telegram to the organizers and participants of the event, read by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, in which he indicated that the forum’s substantive agenda includes a wide range of pressing issues, and important topics such as the Great Silk Road projects and the restoration of Syria’s Palmyra.

The President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and the Secretary-General of the Assembly of the Peoples of Eurasia, Andrei Belyaninov, delivered speeches, in which they stressed the need for the forum to perform the task of uniting, overcoming differences and reaching a new level of cooperation between peoples.

On the sidelines of the forum, Dr. Mashouh and her Russian counterpart Olga Lyubimova signed a cultural cooperation agreement between the two countries, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of the UNESCO Committee, and members of the accompanying Syrian delegation.

The Kazan Forum continues until the ninth of this month and includes seven conferences and a youth model for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, in the presence of representatives of 56 countries.

The 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage is one of the most effective and widely recognized international activities developed under the auspices of UNESCO.

Raghda Sawas