Russia Calls On UNESCO To Restore Monuments In Syria's Aleppo, Palmyra - Russian Envoy

Russia is calling on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to engage in restoration of moments that had been destroyed in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Palmyra in the course of the civil war, Russian Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Alexander Kuznetsov said on Tuesday.

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2018) Russia is calling on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to engage in restoration of moments that had been destroyed in the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Palmyra in the course of the civil war, Russian Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Alexander Kuznetsov said on Tuesday.

Numerous Syrian cultural objects have been destroyed in the civil war, including six UNESCO World Heritage Sites the ancient city of Palmyra, the Krak des Chevaliers castle, Dead Cities between Aleppo and Idlib, Bosra town, the medieval buildings in Aleppo and Damascus' Old City.

"The world needs UNESCO where no one else can replace it. We consider the implementation of the Action for the Protection of Culture and the Promotion of Cultural Pluralism in the Event of Armed Conflict strategy as one of the most urgent issues ... We are calling on UNESCO to engage in restoration of Palmyra's and Aleppo's monuments that have been destroyed by terrorists," Kuznetsov said during the 205th session of the UN Executive board.

He praised UNESCO for its efforts toward restoring the Old City of Iraqi Mosul, but emphasized that the task of restoring the Syrian cultural heritage objects was "no less pressing.

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Kuznetsov added that the Russian experts had already carried out significant preparatory work, in particular, created a 3D model of Palmyra.

He went on to say that St. Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum was ready to offer Syrian restorers an internship.

"We expect UNESCO's practical steps on giving concrete substance to the memorandum on the protection and restoration of cultural treasures in conflict zones, in particular in the middle East, which the organization and the Hermitage signed in October 2017," Kuznetsov concluded.

The memorandum, signed one year ago in Paris, envisages the assessment of the damage done to the cultural objects, elaboration of operational plans on ensuring their security, as well as recovery of the affected movable and immovable objects.

After seven years of armed conflict with terrorist organizations and opposition groups, the Syrian government has regained control over vast territories of the country and is now focused on rebuilding Syria and creating favorable conditions for the refugees' return.