VISIT OF THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE CABINET OF MINISTERS OF TURKMENISTAN M. MAMMEDOVA TO FRANCE

From November 23 to 26, 2022, the delegation headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan M. Mammedova was on a business visit in Paris.

In frames of the visit, the Louvre Museum hosted an international conference entitled "Ulug-Depe - a major center for the study of the protohistory of Central Asia", dedicated to the results of archaeological excavations in Ulug-Depe of the joint French-Turkmen archaeological mission (MAFTUR).

The conference was attended by about 500 people, including archaeologists, museum staff, historians, who made presentations on the results of archaeological excavations carried out in the historical and cultural monument of Ulug-Depe.

On November 24, the delegation of Turkmenistan met with the Deputy Director General of UNESCO for Culture, Mr. Ernesto Ramirez, at the headquarters of the Organization. During the meeting, E. Ramirez conveyed gratitude to the leadership of Turkmenistan for the active participation of our country both in the work of the Organization itself and in its various bodies, institutions and programs.

It was emphasized that next year marks the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's accession to UNESCO membership. In this regard, the parties agreed to widely celebrate this significant date with a number of celebrations, cultural events and other events.

The head of the delegation of Turkmenistan said that in 2024 Turkmenistan is celebrating the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkmen poet Makhtumkuli Fragi and, in connection with this, Turkmenistan intends to nominate this anniversary for inclusion in the list of memorable dates, in the events on the occasion of which UNESCO will host participation in 2024–2025.

As part of the visit, a meeting of the Turkmen delegation was held in the building of the Louvre Museum with the leadership of this museum. During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the practical steps to hold an exhibition of unique artifacts of Turkmenistan at the Louvre Museum. The Turkmen delegation was familiarized in detail with the procedure for exhibiting objects in the museum, methods for storing artifacts and the procedure for carrying out work on the restoration of museum exhibits. During the meeting, agreements were reached to strengthen the legal base and work on signing a contract for holding a Turkmen exhibition in the Louvre.

Also during the visit, the Turkmen delegation met with the President of the National Museum of Asian Arts of France "Guimet" Ms. Yannick Lintz, who shared her experience in holding international exhibitions at the Guimet Museum. During the meeting, the parties discussed the development of cooperation in the museum business and exchanged views on the possibilities of organizing exhibitions in the Guimet Museum to popularize the cultural heritage of our country.