YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella attended the inauguration of the Regional Center of Preservation, Management and Evaluation of Cultural Heritage in the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.

At the inauguration event, Armenia’s Culture Minister Lilit Makunts said that the Armenian-Italian cultural ties have solid ground and century old history. Regular events are held in both Armenia and Italy aimed at presenting the cultural heritage of the two countries and reaffirm friendship.

“The existing potential in Armenia and involvement of international experts will lay the foundation for research of monument preservation. It will serve as a platform for cooperation of experts and specialists in the region,” she said, adding that the presence of the center in Armenia will strengthen the Armenian-Italian cultural ties even more and will be a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Italy’s FM Enzo Moavero Milanesi said that not often is there a chance to open this kind of centers.

“Culture is the effective element connecting countries and peoples, which materializes our lifestyle, this friendship which connects our two peoples, which is based on old, antique cultural roots,” he said.

The presidents of Armenia and Italy later toured the center.

Photos by Gevorg Perkuperkyan

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan