Mintimer Shaimiev meets with experts from ICOMOS

Today, at the Kazan Kremlin, State Councilor of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Foundation "Vozrozhdenie (Renaissance)" Mintimer Shaimiev has met with experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites - ICOMOS (ICOMOS) Susan Denér (UK) and Alkiviádes Prépis (Greece) within ongoing work on promotion of Sviyazhsk in UNESCO World Heritage List.

Island-Svijazhsk was nominated in the World Heritage Committee in 2012 as a mixed cultural and natural complex, and technical evaluation of the nomination was positive. But it was decided to listen to the experts' proposals on the need for further consultations with international ICOMOS experts on the criteria of nomination, and dossier was withdrawn for improvement.

ICOMOS experts on August 6 arrived in Kazan with the advisory mission at the invitation of Russia, and yesterday spent a whole day on the island-Sviyazhsk,  visited cultural and historical monuments of the island and got acquainted with  restoration and rehabilitation works, which are carried out here for the fifth year with the assistance of "Revival . "This morning, at the UNESCO Chair, ICOMOS, Russian and Tatarstan experts discussed outstanding universal value of Sviyazhsk monuments.

At the beginning of the meeting Mintimer Shaimiev said: "We are very grateful to UNESCO this year, in Qatar, Bolgarian historical and archaeological complex has been entered the List of UNESCO World Heritage. We have come a very useful way for ourselves - that's the main conclusion. Because from the primary statements of desire - this is a very complex way. Firstly, it is necessary to have the appropriate knowledge and know all the requirements of the international expert organizations. I believe this is the right requirements, they should be to understood, they need to be matched. And, perhaps most importantly - to provide further preservation. Since we touched them, we must protect them. And I have to say that Russia now enjoys the best experts to prepare nominations with the knowledge of requirements of UNESCO. Through UNESCO schools and other institutions, we will support all those who turn to us on this issue. We must work together for the good of the world's values. "

Press Service of President of the Republic of Tatarstan