Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An opening ceremony of the 43rd session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 30 June.

The Uzbek delegation led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairperson of the National Commission of Uzbekistan for UNESCO Aziz Abdukhakimov takes part in the session.

The ceremony was also attended by the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the organization Lee Byong-hyun, and Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev addressed the event.

Among the participants are over 2500 representatives from more than 180 countries, including ministers, ambassadors of various countries to UNESCO, members of Azerbaijan government.

Presentations of 36 out of 42 applications submitted for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List will be reviewed. Of these, six proposals relate to natural, 28 to cultural and two to mixed heritage.

Within the two-day visit of Uzbekistan delegation in Baku, it is planned to hold meetings with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Akhmedov, Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev, Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Mechtild Rössler and heads of delegations of 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee. In addition, reports submitted by the Uzbek side related to preservation of cultural heritage in Shakhrisabz, Samarkand and Bukhara will be reviewed. Following the discussions, relevant decisions of the Committee will be made with further recommendations on preservation of specified World Heritage sites.

Current issues in protection of cultural monuments will be considered at the conference. International experience will be studied, and main vectors in activities of state and public organizations in this area will be identified.