President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov received the representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Krista Pikkat. Presidential press service reported.
The parties discussed issues of further development of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and UNESCO in the field of education, science, as well as in the field of cultural heritage.
The head of state noted that Kyrgyzstan, having adopted the Convention on the Protection of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage, is making every effort to preserve and enhance it in the world community.
According to him, there are about 2,000 immovable monuments in the Kyrgyz Republic that are of particular importance for the national history of the country, four of them are included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Sadyr Japarov noted the role of Krista Pikkat in the work on inclusion of the Kyrgyz traditional kok boru game, as well as the intellectual and strategic games toguz korgool and mangala, in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
«Preservation of objects of historical and cultural heritage is not just the execution of the code of laws, but our tribute to the great ancestors, who created unique monuments of history and culture,» he said.
Preparations are currently underway for inclusion of such objects of Kyrgyzstan as the Silk Road in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: the Fergana-Syrdarya corridor, one of the elements of which is the Uzgen archaeological and architectural complex (transnational nomination), as well as Saimaluu-Tash petroglyphic drawing (national nomination).
According to the president, these are very important events for the republic that need support from UNESCO, including methodological and grant assistance.
He told that preparations had begun for the nomination «South Shore of Issyk-Kul» for joining the UNESCO Global Geoparks network.
The UNESCO representative expressed the organization’s interest in supporting the Kyrgyz Zharany program initiated by the Kyrgyz side.
The parties also touched upon the topic of glacier preservation in the face of global climate change causing melting of glaciers. In this regard, they agreed on the importance of taking the necessary measures to prevent catastrophic consequences.
