Syrian-Iraqi talks to enhance cultural and tourism cooperation between the two countries

Damascus-SANA

The Minister of Culture, Dr. Lubana Mashawah, and the Minister of Tourism, Eng. Muhammad Rami Martini, discussed with the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Hassan Nazim, the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the cultural and tourism fields.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Culture building in Damascus, Minister Mushawah gave a detailed explanation of the efforts made to restore and restore antiquities damaged as a result of the terrorist war on Syria and to work on developing laws that protect and preserve the tangible and intangible heritage and benefit from the experiences of the two countries, especially as they shared calamities and barbaric terrorist attacks that targeted humans and stones. Civilization, thought and identity.

Minister Mushawah pointed to the possibility of exchanging musical and heritage troupes, book fairs, plastic art, theatrical and cinematic performances between the two countries.

In turn, Minister Martini drew attention to the importance of promoting cultural tourism as it is the most important experience of the tourism sector in Syria to overcome the conditions of the unjust siege, noting the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially since both of them have many historical and cultural monuments and rich heritage.

The Minister of Tourism called for reactivating joint tourism, exchanging experiences and training, and restoring archaeological sites and old markets that were vandalized by terrorists during the war years.

For his part, the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities expressed his happiness with this visit to Damascus, which embraced the Iraqi people in their ordeal and was able to establish good friendships with the Syrian people, who have common social and historical ties, expressing his admiration for the Ministry of Culture’s work plan in the field of restoration, digitization and archiving to preserve Syrian antiquities.

Nazim spoke about the Iraqi experience with the file of antiquities recovery, which was the priority of the Iraqi government, pointing to the importance of cooperation with international organizations and archaeological missions, especially after Iraq was subjected to a terrorist attack on important archaeological sites.

For his part, the Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Nazir Awad, gave a documentary presentation on the restoration and documentation work of the damage caused to antiquities during the unjust war on Syria, which the directorate accomplished with national hands and expertise, and the efforts made to recover the stolen artifacts.

The Assistant Director-General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Hammam Saad, reviewed the Atlas project for Syrian archaeological sites, which aims to create a database of excavated and non-excavated archaeological sites, inventory damages to archaeological sites, and the names of the missions that excavated them.

Amani Farooj

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