MINSK, 18 April (BelTA) – UNESCO will continue all-round cooperation with Belarus and will keep working to preserve Belarus’ cultural heritage, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said as she met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on 18 April, BelTA has learnt.

Irina Bokova noted that UNESCO offers a broad platform for international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, science and education.

She emphasized the importance of joint efforts. “We should continue the work the organization started nearly 70 years ago. We will keep working on preserving Belarus’ heritage,” the UNESCO Director General said.

Irina Bokova noted that “Belarus is an ancient country and has many things to offer to the world”.

She shared her impressions of visiting the Minsk State Linguistic University where she read a lecture. The UNESCO Director General was impressed by the huge interest of the students in UNESCO’s activities. “They know about UNESCO, they are interested in preserving tangible and intangible property; they asked how many Belarus’ cultural assets and traditions might be inscribed on the World Heritage List,” Irina Bokova said.

She believes that if young people know their history and are confident about their national identity, they will feel more secure and will be better able to address today’s issues.

The UNESCO Director General assured: “We will work together to promote the cultural identity and protect cultural assets. We will not just look somewhere; we will look into the future”.