RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan received the delegation headed by Italian Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano.

Deputy Ministers Arthur Martirosyan, Ara Khzmalyan and Alfred Kocharyan also attended the meeting.

ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan welcomed the newly appointed Minister of Culture of Italy, who made the first visit to Armenia in the region.

The two Ministers mentioned the centuries-old Armenian-Italian cultural ties, in particular, the presence of Armenian churches in Italy as a trace of Armenian culture, and the scientific and educational activities of the Mekhitarists on St. Lazarus Island. The willingness to expand joint activities in the field of culture and to carry out effective work was mutually emphasized.

Speaking about joint programs, Zhanna Andreasyan noted: “We have successfully completed the first stage of the “ROCHEMP” program implemented as part of the Armenian-Italian cooperation, and are now considering the possibilities of implementing the 2^nd stage. This program is the best example of effective cooperation.”

It was noted that Italy is among the leading countries in the number of Armenian studies centers. It is planned to hold the upcoming annual conference of Armenian studies centers in Italy, and the Italian Minister of Culture expressed his willingness to participate in it.

At the suggestion of the ESCS Minister, the possibility of joint educational programs was discussed. The objective is to train specialists in the field of cultural heritage preservation in one of the universities of the Republic of Armenia based on the Italian experience.

Gennaro Sangiugliano considered it possible to provide specialists from the Italian side, create a school for the preservation of cultural values, and develop projects in the field of archaeology.

“There are already 4 archaeological missions of the Armenian-Italian cooperation operating in Armenia, which carry out successful activities. You can also entrust us with the restoration of any monument on your territory,” added the Minister of Culture of Italy. Within this topic, the Italian delegation will visit “Garni” Historical-Cultural Museum-Reserve to discuss joint actions and future cooperation.

Touching upon other cultural topics, Zhanna Andreasyan noted that next year an event dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of Sergey Parajanov will be held within the framework of UNESCO, which the Italian Government has also expressed its willingness to support. The importance and role of the joint events dedicated to the 125th anniversary of Yeghishe Charents last year and the 120th anniversary of Aram Khachatryan this year in terms of strengthening cultural ties were also highlighted.

At the meeting, emphasizing the importance of active international participation in the preservation of cultural heritage, ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan also touched upon the role of Italy in the study of the issue of the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh, which came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 44-day war: “We are sorry that the initiative of the Italian side was not a success, but the problem is still relevant. We are hopeful that the visit within the framework of UNESCO will take place. We believe that the alarms coming from the region should become a subject of international concern for the preservation of the cultural heritage of universal value,” stated the RA ESCS Minister, presenting the irreversible consequences of the humanitarian crisis created due to the blockade of the Lachin corridor in the process of realizing the right to education.

The delegation headed by the Italian Minister of Culture will also visit the Armenian Genocide Museum, Matenadaran and the National Gallery of Armenia.