Iran’s Hamedan hosts Int’l Conference on Silk Road

September 23, 2019 - The head of Asia-Pacific Department of UNESCO World Heritage Center has described Iran as an important partner in pursuing the UN agency’s goals.

Feng Jing made the remark while speaking at the International Conference on the Silk Road, which began on Monday in the western Iranian city of Hamedan and will run until September 29, IRNA reported.

The UNESCO World Heritage Center and the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran, in cooperation with the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, are also organizing the 6th meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Serial Transnational World Heritage Nomination of the Silk Roads from September 23 to 26 in Hamedan.

The UNESCO official announced that 24 cultural and natural Iranian properties have already been registered on the World Heritage List, so Iran is an important partner for the body.

Iran’s protection of ancient, natural and cultural heritage meets high standards, he added.

The official referred to conservation and sustainable development of world heritage as one of the principal UN programs for the year 2030, and noted this approach provided a proper opportunity to work harder to preserve the heritage.

He also appreciated Hamedan for hosting such an international conference.

The world heritage center plays a key role in introducing properties of Silk Road states, the official stressed.

Silk Road way to exchange science, culture

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mansour Gholami said the Silk Road has historically been the gateway of science, culture and trade exchange from China to Iran, Greece, and Rome.

Referring to the history of Hamedan, Gholami mentioned that it has been the center of scientific exchanges throughout history, and many scientists originated from this area.

Cultural exchanges are also valuable achievements of these meetings for the people along the Silk Road, he noted.

Silk Road’s important role in dialogue of civilizations

“UNESCO believes the Silk Road can play an important role in the dialogue of nations and civilizations,” said the Officer-In-Charge of the UNESCO Office in Tehran, Cvetan Cvetkovski.

He said that in 2008, UNESCO launched the Silk Road Summit to develop tourism and create an online context for the dialogue of civilizations.

Each year, UNESCO gives its Asian member countries the opportunity to submit their works for global registration, based on their framework for world registration, Cvetofsky said, adding that, “The purpose of the global registration of monuments is to preserve the cultural heritage and to introduce works that have been neglected so far.”

A total of 40 representatives from 14 countries and a number of Iranian officials including Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ali-Asghar Mounesan and Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mansour Gholami attended the event.

The participating countries include France, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, China, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Bhutan, Turkey, Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Nepal.

Source: http://www.iran-daily.com/News/259134.html