BACA President opens World Heritage Committee meeting

Manama, June 30 (BNA): President of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, today opened the 43rd World Heritage Committee meeting held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva, a number of senior officials of the World Heritage Organizations, representatives of the World Heritage Committee, representatives of the culture and heritage sectors from various countries, experts and specialists in the field of world heritage were present. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, President of this year’s World Heritage Committee, Abulfez Garayev; UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board Lee Byong Hyun addressed the opening speeches. The 43rd World Heritage Committee meeting will be held until July 10, during which a number of natural and cultural world heritage sites will be enlisted on the world heritage list, including the Dilmun Burial Mounds, in addition, a number of workshops and seminars will be held to focus on various topics in the world heritage field. The BACA President said Bahrain, last year, was successful in chairing and hosting this international event, noting that the cultural efforts that aimed at accentuating the homeland’s standing would result in commendable civilizational achievements. Adding that Bahrain is close at hand to have the third Bahraini heritage site, the Dilmun Burial Mounds, enlisted on the world heritage list to add to the two previous ones, the Bahrain Fort and the Pearl Route. The BACA underlined the importance of the Dilmun Burial Mounds as it is the largest in the world and it plays a vital role in promoting the tourism sector.