YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian culture ministry plans to replenish the UNESCO World Heritage list with new monuments, deputy culture minister Tigran Galstyan told ARMENPRESS, adding that major works are underway on this path.

“We have only few monuments registered in UNESCO which is absurd. This number should be tenfold, multiplied since we really have worthy monuments. Works are also underway on this direction, but it’s not an easy work”, the deputy minister said. “We would like several monuments to be included in the UNESCO list, for instance, Noravank, which must definitely be included in that list. Moreover, there are also other monuments which deserve to be included in the list”.

The deputy culture minister said the topic of preservation of monuments is the most sensitive in the field of culture since the demolition of each monument in previous years has been accompanied by mass protests. “The culture ministry has two major functions – formation of cultural policy and preservation of monuments. The latter is very important for the ministry”, Tigran Galstyan said, reminding that recently the expert commission unanimously voted in favor of the proposal to include several structures to the list of immovable cultural and historical monuments.

“This is a continuous process, the list of monuments should be constantly supplemented. We have proposed the public also to participate in this process, and all proposals will be discussed at the session of the expert commission”, he said.

The following Armenian sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list:

Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots 

Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin 

Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley 

Full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Roza Grigoryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan