With participation of Syria and delegations of several countries, the Asian Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage was launched , as part of the conference of the Council for the Protection of Asian Cultural Heritage held in Xi’an, China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the General Assembly of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia on the events of the conference.
Xi noted that as an important cradle of human civilization, Asia has nurtured and is home to an immeasurable wealth of cultural heritage, writing a splendid chapter in the annals of world civilizations and the establishment of the alliance is conducive to protecting Asian cultural heritage and deepening exchanges among Asian civilizations.
Within the framework of the alliance, China is willing to work with all Asian countries to boost experience sharing on cultural heritage preservation, promote international cooperation in the cultural heritage sector, and establish a network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, said Xi.
President Xi added that China is ready to join hands with all other Asian countries for further experience sharing on cultural heritage preservation within the framework of the alliance, actively promote international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, and establish a network for dialogue and cooperation among the world civilizations, so as to promote mutual understanding, forge closer bonds between people of different countries, and jointly promote the progress of human civilizations.
Minister of Culture, Dr. Labana Mashouh, referred, in a speech ,to the civilized role of Syria, and the importance of this alliance, which facilitates the process of communication between peoples, and deepens the sense of civilized belonging.
The Minister of Culture touched on the common cultural denominators that unite the peoples of Asia, which fortify their cultural heritage in the face of future challenges, stressing the importance of this event in protecting the heritage of the coalition countries.
Li Qun, Chinese Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, said that China will support the alliance’s sustainable development based on the Asian Fund for Cultural Heritage Conservation., which has so far collected about $12.71 million to support cultural heritage protection projects launched by China and other member states.
It was agreed on the objectives of the alliance, which include cooperation in protecting the archaeological cultural heritage, supporting efforts aimed at recovering antiquities and combating their smuggling, promoting the exchange of research and scientific expertise in the field of excavation and restoration, and establishing a common platform for acquaintance and exchange of benefit in protecting the tangible cultural heritage of the member states of the alliance, in addition to Joint work to transform it into a lever for the economy and one of the pillars of sustainable development.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency