A regional meeting of international experts on the inclusion of the Caspian Corridor of the Great Silk Road in the UNESCO World Heritage List was held in the Turkmen capital today.

The event was attended by representatives of the Government, national coordinators and experts of the working group of the serial transnational nomination "Caspian-Volga Silk Road Corridor" from the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, also representatives of UNESCO, the International Institute of Central Asian Studies (IICAS), the International Council for the Preservation of Monuments and Landmarks places (ICPML), Teikyo University (Japan), University College London UCL (UK).

The reports noted that the Great Silk Road, a phenomenal transcontinental highway that connected the countries of the West and the East in ancient times, passed through the territory of nowaday Turkmenistan, which is confirmed in the works of ancient and medieval authors. This is also evidenced by the preserved historical and cultural monuments, rich archaeological material collected by Turkmen and foreign researchers. These informations served as the scientific basis for the fundamental work of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov "Turkmenistan is the heart of the Great Silk Road".

It should be noted that the new book of Hero Arkadag "Hakyda göwheri" also contains interesting information about the Great Silk Road and its significance. Attention is drawn to the facts indicating that the trade relations that our ancestors established with distant countries have an ancient history. In this regard, Hero  Arkadag writes that in those times in the era of Gonur Depe, caravan routes began to arise, which became the main branches of this legendary route.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people emphasizes in his work that the rich history of Turkmen and mutual respect between peoples, which is the essence of the Great Silk Road, serve as the basis for deepening friendly ties with neighboring and distant countries.

It should also be noted that the book by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov "Anau – culture originated from the millennia" contains historical information confirming the important role played by the Great Silk Road in the lives of peoples who lived in ancient times.

This book by the head of state emphasizes the need for a fundamental study of the rich cultural heritage and history of our people, who have made a worthy contribution to the development of world civilization.

In this context, it was underlined during the event that the preservation and popularization of historical heritage was identified as one of the priorities of our country's state policy, and the development of comprehensive and close ties with UNESCO is an integral part of Turkmenistan's foreign policy in the field of cultural heritage protection. Work in this direction is carried out in accordance with the adopted special state programs. Among them, it should be noted the importance of the currently implemented "State Program for 2022-2028 for the careful preservation of objects of National historical and cultural heritage, their protection and study, and attraction of tourists to them."

At the 1st plenary session, experts from the participating countries presented reports on national efforts to initially identify, protect, preserve and manage relevant sites related to the heritage of the Caspian-Volga Silk Road Corridor, also presentations on progress and assessment of the conservation status of its components.

In the speeches at the 2nd plenary session "Understanding the heritage of potential Silk Roads of the Caspian-Volga Corridor", was emphasized that the current meeting is aimed at further discussion at the expert level of the process of preparing the nomination of the Caspian-Volga Corridor for inclusion in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the Turkmen side for the high organization of the event. As noted, such meetings are aimed at exchanging experience and knowledge, improving the skills of specialized professionals and intensifying joint researches.

In accordance with the program of the meeting, it is planned to hold plenary sessions: "Integration of modern technologies into research and management of heritage sites, initiation of preparation of an Atlas of maps and collection of graphic materials of objects of historical and cultural heritage of the Caspian-Volga corridor of the Silk Road", "Roadmap of the nomination process of the Caspian-Volga corridor and capacity building".

During the discussion, it is planned to conduct a comparative analysis and assess the role of underwater heritage in the nomination process, to consider the possibilities of using advanced techniques in such areas as remote sensing and field studies. Another important goal is to promote cooperation in the study of terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites in the region. In addition, the participants will develop a Roadmap for the preparation of the nomination of the Caspian-Volga corridor of the Silk Road.

The program of the meeting also includes a visit to the open–air monument - Old Nisa, included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which shows to the world recognition of the highest value of the object of historical and cultural heritage of the Turkmen people.