During the meeting on Monday, 15 May, the Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran, Golda El-Khoury, presented President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with several certificates confirming the inscription of cultural objects in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
As known, last year, on the initiative of Turkmenistan, such objects as “Turkmen-style needlework art”, “Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving” and “Telling tradition of Molla Ependi anecdotes” were inscribed on the List.
The Head of State stressed that this event is another recognition by the world community of the significant contribution of the Turkmen people, who carefully preserve and pass on from generation to generation their rich unique traditions to the development of universal culture.
“We are taking a responsible and systematic approach to the development of cooperation with UNESCO. The main facilitating and coordinating body in this direction is the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO, which is actively working,” the President noted.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the ongoing work on the inclusion of the city of Ashgabat in the UNESCO Network of Creative Cities, as well as on the inclusion of other types of art and traditions of the Turkmen people in the UNESCO Heritage List in the future.
The establishment of relevant UNESCO chairs in higher educational institutions of the country under the UNITWIN international program also serves as proof of the effectiveness of bilateral contacts.
Additionally, efforts are being made to include a number of secondary schools into the system of UNESCO Associated Schools. UNESCO clubs have been opened in two universities.
Turkmenistan became a full member of UNESCO on 17 August 1993. In 1995, a representative office of Turkmenistan to UNESCO was opened in Paris.
Such historical sites of Turkmenistan as Ancient Merv, Kunyaurgench and fortresses of Ancient Nisa are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The epic “Gerogly”, the Novruz holiday, the singing and dancing tradition “Kushtdepdi”, the Turkmen national art of carpet making, as well as the Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singing are part of the Representative List of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. ///nCa, 16 May 2023
Issues of cooperation with UNESCO discussed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
On May 15, 2023, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova held talks with the Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office Golda El-Khoury, during which topical issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and UNESCO were discussed.
The parties exchanged views on the current state of cooperation between Turkmenistan and UNESCO. In this context, as noted by the Turkmen diplomat, the constructive cooperation of Turkmenistan with Organization is based on the positive results achieved under the UNESCO conventions ratified by Turkmenistan, as well as other international legal documents signed between Turkmenistan and this Organization.
The parties stated a systematic and effective partnership in terms of including the national cultural values of the Turkmen people – Ancient Merv, Kunya-Urgench, the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The active work of Turkmenistan in initiating, preparing and introducing the multinational nominations “International Novruz Holiday”, “The Art of Turkmen Embroidery”, “Sericulture and Traditions of Silk Production in Weaving”, “Traditions of Retelling Khoja Nasreddin’s Anecdotes” to the UNESCO Representative List of intangible Cultural Heritage was also emphasized.
The parties emphasized the importance of opening UNESCO chairs at the Turkmen State University named after Mahtumkuli and the Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute named after Seydi, whose activities are aimed at deepening the interaction of Turkmenistan with the Organization.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the prospects for cooperation between Turkmenistan within the framework of cooperation with UNESCO. In this regard, issues of holding an international conference in Ashgabat dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s accession to UNESCO were discussed. ///MFA Turkmenistan, 15 May 2023