NEWS

On 17 September 2008 in Paris the Minister of foreign affairs of

the Republic of Kazakhstan M.Tazhin held a meeting

with the Director-General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura

       On 17 September in Paris within the framework of the visit to France the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.Tazhin has paid a visit to the General Headquarters of UNESCO where the meeting with the Director-General of this authoritative organization K. Matsuura was held.

       In the framework of the meeting the Head of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has discussed with his colleague current condition and the perspective directions of the mutual collaboration between Kazakhstan and UNESCO, noting the dynamic level of the interaction contacts in the sphere of education, culture and science.

       The Director-General of UNESCO has expressed a high opinion to the efforts of Kazakhstan on the protection of the cultural and nature heritage on national, regional and international level.

Since the entry of Kazakhstan in UNESCO on May 29, 1992, our country has still been pursuing the policy on strengthening the collaboration with UNESCO and with other countries in the framework of this international organization. During this period Kazakhstan has become a member of 11 international conventions forged under the authority of UNESCO.

       In 2006 the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO was signed in Astana, providing further actions on the collaboration in the sphere of culture, science, education, information and communications.

       The fruitful cooperation links Kazakhstan and UNESCO together on the field of the protection of the cultural heritage. On the 27^th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held on June-July, 2009 in Paris, at the suggestion of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and upon the recommendation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yesevi was registered in World Heritage List. On the 28^th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held on summer, 2004 in China, another one decision was accepted – a new one kazakhstani monument “Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly” was registered in UNESCO list of World Heritage.

       The object “Sary-Arka – steppe and lakes of North Kazakhstan”, the first nature feature of Central Asia, was also registered in the List of World Heritage in 2008 on the 32^nd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

       The subscription of the Program on archeological excavations and preservation of the ancient city Otyrar also became a noticeable event in the relationships between Kazakhstan and UNSECO.

       The Festival “Cultural Diversity and Dialog in Central Asia” (May 24-June 1, 2005) organised by the Directorate on Cultural Policy and Intercultural Dialog of UNESCO and held in General Headquarters of UNESCO was carried with the big success.

       The collaboration with UNESCO offers great challenges for Kazakhstan to promote its achievements and cultural values among the international society, and also to approve Kazakhstani outstanding leaders’ creativeness and the contribution of them to the international culture, providing this kind of representatives an international authority.

Date of issue: 2008-09-17