RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Alfred Kocharyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Armenia Alfonso Di Riso.

The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Department for Foreign Relations and Diaspora of the MoESCS Arkady Papoyan, Head of the Department for Cultural Heritage and Folk Crafts Astghik Marabyan, Vice-Ambassador Annarosa Colangelo, and Embassy employee Aram Mkryan.

During the meeting, the programs implemented in the field of the Armenian-Italian cultural heritage were touched upon, as well as the details of new joint programs were discussed, in particular, considering 3 main directions.

The discussion focused on the importance of the engagement of Italian expeditions and organizations in the study of the archaeological heritage in Armenia. The Italian side approved the funding for the second stage of the program of the "ROCHEMP-Armenia: Creation of Regional Centre for Management, Conservation and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage”, the programs related to which will be discussed in detail in the near future. The sides then considered the programs aimed at advancing and expanding Armenian-Italian cultural relations in various directions.

In this context, Ambassador Alfonso Di Riso proposed to hold mutual exhibitions in Armenia and Italy, presenting Italian culture in Armenia and Armenian - in Italy. According to the Ambassador, this project will best reflect the relations between the cultures of the two countries with a centuries-old history.

The Deputy Minister welcomed the Ambassador's proposal and expressed willingness to elaborate in detail all the programs that were mutually outlined and considered

During the meeting a reference was made to other issues of mutual interest.