PACE rapporteur on cultural heritage welcomes opening of Agdamar Church

PanARMENIAN.Net - Eddie O'Hara (United Kingdom), rapporteur on the cultural heritage in the South Caucasus for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has welcomed the announcement of the opening on 29 March the Holly Cross Armenian Church on Agdamar island (Lake Van, Turkey) following extensive restoration funded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. "The involvement of the Turkish Government, the Armenian Church authorities, experts from Turkish and international universities and local contractors is an outstanding example of how cooperation can help to save the rich cultural heritage of this region," Mr. O'Hara said. E. O'Hara is due to make a study visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to find ways of taking cultural heritage out of the conflicts and to identify common strategies for its protection. "The Agdamar Church restoration shows precisely what we should hope to achieve throughout the region. We hope the Armenian authorities will be able to participate in the opening," the PACE rapporteur said, the Informational Center of the Council of Europe reported.