On May 15, 2023, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the director of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran Golda El-Khoury.
Noting the high interest of UNESCO in further deepening the constructive dialogue with Turkmenistan, Golda El-Khoury stressed that last year the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, at the initiative of the Turkmen state, was supplemented with such types of intangible heritage as “Turkmen art of embroidery”, “Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving” and “Traditions of retelling the parables of Molla Ependi”. In this regard, the guest presented the relevant certificates to the President of Turkmenistan.
The head of state expressed confidence that this visit to Turkmenistan would be productive and an important step in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Thanking the head of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran for presenting the relevant certificates, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that this event is yet another recognition by the world community of the significant contribution of the Turkmen people, carefully preserving and passing on from generation to generation their rich unique traditions, to the development of universal culture.
During the exchange of views on the state and prospects of fruitful relations, the President of Turkmenistan and the Director of the UNESCO Cluster Bureau stated that the country is carrying out large-scale work to preserve for future generations the historical, cultural and natural values that are an integral part of world civilization. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's full membership in UNESCO and successful bilateral cooperation. In this regard, the emphasis was placed on the great joint activities carried out, the accumulated positive experience of partnership in the cultural and humanitarian sphere and in the field of preserving historical heritage.
As the head of state noted, thanks to effective interaction, Turkmen specialists, together with foreign experts, selected a number of unique historical sites in our country - Ancient Merv, Kunyaurgench and the fortress of Ancient Nisa, which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vivid examples are also the entry into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the Gorogly epic, the Novruz holiday, the singing and dancing ritual of Kushtdepdi, the Turkmen national art of carpet weaving, as well as the craft of making dutar, performing musical art on it and the art of bakhshi.
One of the topics of substantive discussion was the ongoing work to include the city of Ashgabat in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, as well as to include other types of art and original customs of our people in the UNESCO Heritage List in the future.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Head of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran Golda El-Khoury expressed confidence in the successful continuation and deepening of the multifaceted partnership of Turkmenistan with the UN and its agencies for strengthening trust and mutual understanding between peoples through cultural cooperation, achieving peace and the Sustainable Development Goals.
