Within the frame of the visit to France, RA ESCS Minister Vahram Dumanyan had a meeting with UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone.

Discussing various issues of mutual interest, the RA ESCS Minister thanked for the continuous and long-standing effective cooperation with UNESCO and expressed confidence that the existing mutually beneficial cooperation with UNESCO in various fields will enhance and contribute to the implementation of new initiatives and ideas.

During the meeting, the issues of cooperation in the field of protection of the cultural heritage of the Republic of Artsakh and the visit of the UNESCO technical mission to Artsakh and adjacent territories was emphasized. Vahram Dumanyan reaffirmed Armenia's full support in the implementation of the mission.

During the meeting, the cooperation on the “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative was also considered and the importance of protecting and preserving cultural heritage, in particular, in conflict-affected areas, was highlighted. The Minister noted that during the past week, the delegation of experts engaged in the restoration of ancient manuscripts of Mosul, headed by the prelate of the Chaldean Church and Head of the Center for Digitization of Oriental Manuscripts, Archbishop Najib Mikhael, visited Armenia. The Minister expressed hope that the collaboration will be long-standing, and Armenia may contribute to the preservation of world culture through the exchange of best practices.

The issues of current programs were also touched upon, in particular, the possibility of restoring the historical center of Gyumri and the program implemented jointly with the UNESCO Unit for Emergency Preparedness and Response for the Assessment of Threats to Cultural Monuments, the process of revising the primary list of the World Heritage of Armenia, as well as the provision of UNESCO expert assistance in the framework of the revision of the cultural policy of Armenia.

RA ESCS Minister Vahram Dumanyan also thanked Ernesto Ottone for UNESCO's assistance in the framework of the participation program and expressed hope that the cooperation between Armenia and UNESCO in this direction will be long-lasting.