BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 29. As part of the official visit to Samarkand to participate in the ceremonial event marking the city's designation as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World, the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova, held a bilateral meeting with the Director-General of ICESCO, the esteemed Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, TurkicWorld reports.
During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation and expressed mutual interest in expanding joint initiatives in the fields of culture, education, and the protection of historical and cultural heritage. The meeting concluded with an agreement to prepare and subsequently sign a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Foundation and ICESCO.
Mrs. Raimkulova congratulated the Director-General on the designation of Samarkand as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World, emphasizing the significance of this initiative not only for Uzbekistan but also for the entire Islamic and Turkic world. She expressed the Foundation’s full support for ICESCO’s efforts to preserve and promote cultural heritage.
During the discussions, the President of the Foundation proposed the joint development of a multi-volume methodological manual on the restoration and preservation of historical and cultural monuments in Turkic countries, underlining the importance of a systematic and scientific approach to tangible heritage preservation.
Additional topics included the enhancement of museum professionals’ qualifications, the organization of specialized training programs, joint forums, and collaborative research projects aimed at strengthening the professional capacity of cultural institutions across the Turkic world.
The agreements reached during the meeting lay a strong foundation for long-term cooperation between the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and ICESCO, with the shared goal of safeguarding and advancing the rich cultural legacy of the Turkic and Islamic worlds.
